Small World
by Tanyaleefr
Summary: They say that any two individuals are connected through at most five acquaintances. However, Chris Crawford and Calleigh Duquesne are connected through one very important man. Ryan/Calleigh/Other Character. This is NOT a caRWash fic.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything… sucks, but I have to accept it. The only thing I DO own is my new character!!!**_

_Author's note:__ I hope you enjoy this new fic!!!! I've been a writing machine lately… I think I'm addicted to writing…. _

_Or maybe it's to the thought of Ryan falling in love… _

_ANYWAYYYYYYY I hope you enjoy it!!!!  
_

_And don't forget to review!!!! -_^ _

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**_Summary:_**_ They say __that any two individuals are connected through at most five acquaintances. However, Chris Crawford and Calleigh Duquesne are connected through one very important man. _

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**Small World**

**Chapter 1: The New Girl**

The short blonde parked her car and turned off the engine with a slightly shaking hand. She didn't move to open the door, needing to take some time to get her nerves under control. She took a few deep breaths and peeked at her reflection in the rearview mirror.

At least from the outside she looked totally in control.

"Come on, Chris, stop being such a wimp." She patronized herself, nervously brushing her long hair with her fingers. This day should feel like any other day. The only difference was that it was her first day at her new job. _'But it's not ANY job… it's your DREAM job, Chris.' _She reminded herself.

She rolled her eyes at her own thoughts and got out of the car, not wanting to be late on her first day. She smoothed her hands over her white short-sleeved shirt and lifted her purse over her shoulder. She looked up at Miami-Dade's Police Department and breathed out slowly. Her heartbeat was nowhere near going back to normal. _'This is it.'_ She thought, unable to keep a nervous smile from reaching her lips.

She locked up her car and started making her way towards the building. She walked up the stairs and thanked the man who held the door open for her. Once inside, she spotted the elevator and got in, taking another deep breath, in an effort to calm herself.

Her eyes flew around the large room as she finally stepped onto her floor. It was barely seven a.m. and the place was already swarming with people.

"Can I help you, miss?"

Chris turned her gaze towards the voice and noticed the receptionist looking in her direction. _'Was she talking to me?'_ she thought, glancing around her, in search of someone who could need help. Finding no one, she turned her eyes back on the pretty woman who was still staring at her, eyebrows raised expectantly. _'Right…'_ Chris rolled her eyes at herself again and walked up to the front desk.

"Hi! Yes, I could use your help!" She offered her hand and smiled at her. "I'm Chris Crawford."

The receptionist's polite grin turned into a real smile as she shook the blonde's hand. "Our new lab rat!"

Chris wrinkled her nose at the nickname but kept smiling. "Yeah." She really didn't like being called a lab rat… that's how they used to call her at her previous job. She'd never gotten used to it.

The young receptionist let go of her hand and picked up the receiver. "I'll call Mr. Caine and let him know you're here."

Chris nodded her head and turned around, her eyes going back to studying what would be her new work environment. She'd only talked with her new boss over the phone, which was pretty odd, considering she lived in Miami and could have met him for the interview without problem. This Mr. Caine was one _busy_ man.

"Mrs. Crawford."

She lifted her eyebrows as a male voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned her head and smiled as she came face to face with a tall man who could only be the person she'd been waiting for. "Mr. Caine."

The redhead gave her a soft grin and shook her hand, his sky blue eyes studying her intently. "Please, call me Horatio." He told her, his voice soft and warm.

Chris gave him a bright smile and nodded her head. "Alright. You can call me Chris, then!" She knew she should've taken her excitement down a notch, since she was in a serious work environment and this man was her boss. But somehow, she had a hard time imagining him losing it or becoming angry at anyone.

Horatio gave a small acknowledging nod and pointed his dark sun glasses towards the hall behind her. "I asked one of our technicians to give you a tour of the lab. We'll deal with the paperwork later, if it's alright with you."

"No problem!" She followed him down the hall and into one of the labs, where a tall woman was finishing buttoning up a white lab coat over her clothes. She lifted her head as they walked in and gave them a welcoming smile. "Good morning, Horatio!"

"Good morning to you. Maxine, meet Christina Crawford, our new DNA technician." He turned his soft gaze back on the shorter woman. "Mrs. Crawford, this is Maxine Valera, our DNA expert."

Chris winced at the use of her full name, knowing he'd probably have a hard time calling her by her shorter nickname, even if she'd asked him to use it. She smiled at the tall brunette and shook her hand. "You can call me Chris."

Valera shook her hand back and nodded her head. "Call me Max. No one calls me Maxine." She winced and looked at her boss, who was grinning down at his hands. "Sorry Horatio."

The redhead nodded his head knowingly, before putting his shades back over his eyes. "Mrs. Crawford, I'm sorry, but I have to get back to work. _Max_ will take you around the lab."

Chris watched him as he turned around and walked out the door, leaving the two women alone. _'Alright… he's kinda weird… but in a good way.'_ She thought, grinning to herself. She turned her attention back on the tall brunette, who had a similar smile on her lips.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Max took her lab coat off again and hung it by the door. "Now let's go! Let me take you around my world."

Chris nodded her head and smiled, already feeling like she'd get along with this woman.

**CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI**

"Aaaaand we're back where we started. This is where you're going to be spending most of your time."

Chris followed Max inside the lab and rested her elbows on the table, her eyes scanning the room around her. She'd worked with the same machines and computers when she was at the FBI, which meant she wouldn't have to spend time learning how to use new ones. She turned her eyes towards Valera, who was slipping her lab coat on for the second time that day.

"I feel right at home! I just don't have my own personalized lab coat like you do." She answered, pointing at Valera.

Max giggled. "Oh don't worry, you will." She wrinkled her nose and gave her a playful smile. "To tell you the truth, I asked for a hot pink lab coat but _someone_ thought it wouldn't look professional." She sighed and shook her head, heading back towards the door. "They soooo don't get my fashion sense." She reached behind the door and grabbed another lab coat, throwing it to her. "Here, your name's not on it but it should be ok for now."

Chris laughed and slipped it on. "It's perfect… for now." She buttoned it and lifted her long blonde hair out of the collar.

Valera watched her and rolled her eyes. "What is it with gorgeous blondes around here… it's almost like we're being invaded."

Chris lifted an eyebrow, puzzled. "Huh?"

Maxine laughed and shook her head. "Nothing… " She turned her head towards the door and grinned. "Oh! I think we have our first client of the day!"

Chris straightened herself as a man in a very clean grey suit walked inside the DNA lab. His seemed engrossed in a document he was reading. He walked up to the table and dropped an evidence bag on it, never even looking up from his piece of paper.

The tall brunette cleaned her throat and gave him an irritated look, waiting for him to acknowledge their presence. Wasn't long before she gave up and rolled her eyes at him. "Good morning to you too, Ryan."

"Mornin'…" he mumbled, not even realizing Max wasn't alone.

Chris' eyes travelled back and forth between the two coworkers. Valera crossed her arms over her chest and pulled her tongue at him, making Chris chuckle.

That seemed to get his attention. He lifted his eyes from his reading, eyebrows raised in surprise as he finally noticed the short blonde standing on the opposite side of the table. "Hi!" he frowned slightly and lifted his hand. "I'm Ryan Wolfe."

Chris smiled and shook his hand back. "Chris Crawford, nice to meet you."

"Chris…" he frowned and pointed his finger at her. "Are you the new lab tech Horatio never told us about?" he asked her, making her laugh.

She nodded her head. "I guess I am!" From the little she'd gotten to know about her new boss, she wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't told anyone about her arrival. "I see you brought something for us." She said, pointing at the evidence bag still waiting on the table.

"Yeah, I need to have these samples tested for DNA."

Chris grinned and took the bag from his hands. "Great! Let's get to work then!" She turned around, set the bag next to one of the computers and tied her hair up in a high messy bun, using the hair band she always had wrapped around her wrist.

Ryan glanced at Valera and lifted his chin at the new girl. "I like her. You should take after her, Max."

She shot him a dark look. "Funny."

Ryan winked playfully at her and went to leave the lab but stopped short, frowning. "Hey… is it just me or Chris looks A LOT like…"

Max nodded her head, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. "Calleigh, right?!?! I thought the exact same thing when I first saw her!"

They both looked at Chris, who was watching them with amusement written all over her face. "And who's…"

Maxine interrupted her. "Calleigh? She's one of the CSI's who works here. Short, long blond hair, green eyes, sparkling smile… you both look A LOT alike!" She told her, apparently amazed by the resemblance she saw between the two women.

Chris snorted and shrugged her shoulders, eyes wide with fake excitement. "WOW!!! You never know, I might have found my long lost twin!" She exclaimed.

Max ignored her sarcastic comment and kept going. "I'm not kidding, you could be her clone!"

The short blond wrinkled her nose and turned her gaze towards Ryan. "Alright, this is getting kind of creepy…"

The tall brunette snorted. "Wait 'till you see her… then you're going to think it's REALLY creepy."

Ryan shook his head and sent Valera one of his dubious looks. "Don't you think you're exaggerating a little bit, Max?" He shrugged. "They look alike, but that's about it!"

Max glared at him and sighed. "Whatever." She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin towards the door. "You'll have to let us work if you want to get your results today. Now _shoo_!"

He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. "Are you really _shooing_ me out of the lab?" he asked her, grinning.

She walked over to stand next to Chris, who was still watching them with a grin on her face. "No, CHRIS and I are shooing you out of OUR lab." She corrected, smiling down at her new colleague.

Ryan lifted his hands up and started backing out. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving." He waved the paper in his hands as he turned around. "I hope you enjoy it here, Chris!" he called, walking out of the lab.

Chris waved back at him and turned her eyes towards the tall brunette. "I've had more fun in the last five minutes than I've had in two years at the FBI."

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_SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO? Is this a good start? I promise this story isn't going to be the traditional Ryan-falls-in-love-with-the-new-girl fic._

_Let me know what you think!!!!!_

_By the way... I'm sorry if there are a few mistakes... I'm French Canadian. _


	2. Chapter 2

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Author's note:

_On with the next chapter!!!! I hope you all enjoy it!_

_PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!!! Everyone who reads SHOULD have something to say about it!!!!!_

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**Chapter 2: Duquesne?**

Chris let out a satisfied sigh as she opened her locker. Her first day at her new job had been awesome. She'd met a lot of people, gotten to analyze tons of samples and, best of all: she'd helped put a dangerous criminal behind bars. She'd never gotten that much satisfaction in only one day at her previous job, and it really proved what a good idea this change would be.

However right now, it was the end of the day, and quite frankly, she hadn't felt this tired since forever. She grabbed her purse from her still empty locker and closed it shut again. She started making her way towards the door, fishing through her purse as she looked for her keys. "Freaking bag…" she mumbled under her breath, asking herself for the thousandth time why she always had to get the largest purses she could find. She stopped and cursed, wondering if it would look strange if she flipped it over and emptied its content all over the floor. _'Not sure if looking like a nutcase would help you make friends here.'_ she reminded herself. She decided against it and shook the damned thing roughly, not noticing someone had joined her in the room until she heard his low chuckle.

"I wouldn't want to be that bag. What did it do to you?"

She looked up, her pout turning into a smile as she realized who it was. Ryan was leaning against the row of lockers, arms crossed over his chest and his head tilted as he watched her. "It ate my keys." She told him, her lips turning into a pout.

Ryan snorted. "Women and their purse…"

"Do you want to try and find them?" she held it out to him, eyebrows raised in defiance.

He laughed and lifted his hands up, shaking his head. "There's no way I'll ever look through a woman's purse."

She grinned and dove her hand back inside her purse. "Ah AH!" she held the keys up in triumph, smiling proudly. "Found them!"

Ryan laughed. "Are you going home?"

Chris sighed and pulled her purse over her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm exhausted." Her grin widened. "But it's all good! I had a great time today."

"Glad you did." He straightened himself and pointed at the door behind him. "Wait for me?"

"Sure!" She watched him as he quickly opened his locker, gathered his personal belongings and closed it shut again. They walked out of the room and made their way towards the exit.

Just as they were walking out of the building, Ryan pointed at two people who were walking towards them. "There's the last two CSI's you haven't had the chance to meet yet!" he told her as he held the main door opened for her. He led her down the stairs and waved towards them.

"Hi guys! I thought your day was over!" he said as they got closer and stopped next to them.

The short blonde grinned and nodded her head. "Oh it is. We're just back to get our stuff and then we're leaving." She turned her gaze to Chris and lifted her eyebrows, curious. "Hi!"

Ryan seemed to wake up. "Right! Guys, this is Chris Crawford, our new DNA technician." He turned towards her. "This is Jesse Cardoza."

Chris gave the tall man one of her friendliest smiles and shook his hand. He seemed nice enough and was pretty good looking. He smiled at her, showing her a set of dimples that almost made her roll her eyes. "Hi! Welcome to the lab, Chris."

She thanked him and turned her attention to the other woman, waiting for Ryan to finish the introduction.

"… And this is Calleigh Duquesne."

Chris' smile froze on her face, her eyes locking on the woman's face. _'Duquesne?!?!!'_ Her mind shouted. She willed herself to shake the other woman's hand, trying her best to stay cool. "Nice to meet you!" she told her in a slightly weak voice.

"It's nice meeting you too! How was your first day at the lab?" Calleigh asked excitedly, her green eyes never leaving her brown ones.

The younger blonde nodded her head quickly and averted her eyes. "It was good!" She turned and pointed towards the parking lot. "I'm sorry, I have to go." She gave them one last nervous smile and started walking away from them at a face pace.

"Have a nice evening!" Ryan called after her, frowning as she kept walking as if she hadn't heard him.

Jesse snorted and gave them a look. "Wow, that was… odd."

Ryan shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she has an appointment or something... She's very friendly, you'll see." He told them, wondering what had made her mood change.

**CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI**

Chris let out a long relieved breath as she shut the door behind her. She leaned back against it and dropped her purse on the ground, next to her pile of discarded shoes.

The moment she'd gotten into her car, she'd driven like a robot, automatically following the streets leading to her apartment. She'd forced herself not to think about anything, knowing she would probably have caused an accident.

But now that she was in the safe haven of her apartment, she could finally let her thoughts go free.

She'd finally gotten the job of her dreams. She'd met her awesome boss and equally great team. And in all the places she could have found this dream job, she had to find a Duquesne.

And now, she would have to see Calleigh Duquesne almost every day.

Chris sighed and turned her head to the side, her eyes catching the mirror she had hung next to the door. She pushed herself away from the door and moved to stand in front of the glass. She looked at herself and frowned, analyzing her reflection. She had no idea why Ryan and Max had gone crazy about her looking like her. She didn't look one bit like her. Yes, she was about as short as her and her hair was blonde, but that was where the similarities stopped.

She frowned and glanced at the picture she'd hung beside the mirror. It was a large picture of her family which had been taken a few months ago. Her mom and dad were sitting on a bench, smiling at the camera. She stood behind them, between her brothers Felix and Aaron. Her other brother Bradley and her little sister Lacey were sitting on the ground at their parent's feet. They might have looked like the perfect American family from afar, but they definitely weren't.

Her mom had been raising her all by herself when she'd met Ricky Cortez. Ricky was a single father, whose wife had died shortly after giving birth to their son six years before. She was two when her mom started seeing Ricky. Her mom had soon gotten married and Ricky had become her father and Felix, her big brother. Soon, they'd enlarged their new family with two other children: Aaron, who was born a year later, and Bradley, three years after that.

Chris' lips curved into a soft smile as she looked at her little sister's face. Her parents would've never thought that they would have a fifth child, and that, almost fourteen years later. Lacey may have been a total surprise, but her brothers and her absolutely adored her. She was the sweetest/most annoying seven-year-old in the universe.

Her eyes traveled over their faces, her smile wavering as she noticed how her long blonde hair and fair skin clashed against her siblings' black hair and darker complexion. Even her mom looked very different, with her curly brown hair and her naturally tanned skin. The only thing she'd gotten from her mom were her warm chocolate brown eyes.

Everything else had come from a man she'd never even met.

She sighed and glanced at the mirror again. Ryan and Maxine were right; she did look a lot like her. Her hair was a little darker and the height was pretty much the same, but the similarities clearly didn't stop there. She just couldn't ignore the resemblance between Calleigh Duquesne and her.

She sighed. "My life is a fucking daytime drama." She muttered, pouting miserably at herself.

She tore her eyes away from her reflection and tied her long blond hair in a high ponytail. She slowly made her way through her apartment, unbuttoning her white shirt as she went. She threw it on one of the chairs in the living room and kept walking towards her bedroom, needing to slip into something more comfortable. _'Maybe I should call mom…'_ she thought. She grimaced and shook her head. _'NOT a good idea.'_ She took her black pants off and threw them on the ground at the end of her bed, which were quickly followed by her socks. She then walked over to her dresser and took out her favorite pair of grey sweats, along with a plain white tank top.

She left everything on the carpet and patted barefoot to her kitchen. She was hungry, but didn't feel like cooking. She grabbed a spoon and the strawberry ice cream from the freezer and walked back into the living room. She let out a long sigh as she crashed on the couch.

If only she could just stop thinking. She just couldn't.

Not when she'd just met Kenwall Duquesne's daughter.

She frowned, dug her spoon into the ice cream and brought it to her mouth. She'd decided a long time ago she wanted nothing to do with any Duquesne.

She was fourteen when she had started questioning her mom about her biological father. She'd never really given it any importance before then, since she already had an incredible dad. But she wasn't stupid. She'd always known he wasn't her real father. She'd simply always thought that, if her mom hadn't thought him important enough to include him in her life, he wasn't worth knowing at all.

Her mom hadn't tried hiding the truth from her. She'd told her father was a man she'd seen just a few times. Her mom had been the 'other woman'. Kenwall was a married man and even had kids of his own. Her mom was only 22 when she'd started seeing him. He'd disappeared before she even found out she was pregnant. Even after that, she didn't even try contacting him. She knew she'd be better off without him in their lives.

That's all Chris had needed to hear.

The odds of meeting another Duquesne, his daughter, were extremely slim. And there was no way Calleigh would know about her.

Chris sighed again and stabbed the ice cream repeatedly with her spoon. Sure, Calleigh seemed nice and all. She was probably a great person to work with. _'Maybe I should quit my job…'_ she thought, but quickly shook her head.

No. She'd wanted this job for way too long and had worked way too hard to quit now.

She'd have to ignore the fact that she was working with her sister.

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_SOOOOOOO? Is that dramatic enough for you???? GOSH I love ANGST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_PLEASE let me know what you thought!_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note : Hey everyone! Third chapter up!!!!**_

_PLEASE Review the chapter!!!!!! If you like the story, TELL ME!!! If you don't... TELL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_Good reading y'all!_

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**Chapter 3: At Mom's**

"Hey, mom!" Chris called as she closed the front door behind her. She dropped her purse on the couch and made her way through her parents' living room.

"Up here!" She heard her mom's voice coming from upstairs. Chris grinned and climbed the stairs leading up to the second floor. She walked into the master bedroom and chuckled, coming face to face with her mom's backside. "Hi there, sweet ass!"

Amanda straightened herself and turned her head, scowling at her daughter. "Chris, you know how much I HATE when you talk like that."

"What?" she answered coyly. "I'm only stating the truth! You have a GREAT ass." She told her, pointing at it.

Her mom couldn't keep her lips from curving slightly. "Thank you." She walked over to the treadmill and grabbed her empty water bottle and her towel.

Chris laughed and sat on her parents' bed. "You still work out every day?"

"Only when I have the time… something I don't have that much of lately." She answered, shaking her head.

"And what takes so much of your precious time that you don't have time to work on firming your buttocks?" She asked her, leaning back on her elbows.

"Your sister." She sighed and pointed a finger at her. "You used to be a handful, but Lacey, she changes passion EVERY WEEK." She sighed and threw her towel over her shoulder. "She's decided she wants to become a marine biologist." She sighed and shook her head in disbelief. "I think I've spent more time on the beach in a week than I have in 50 years."

Chris rolled her eyes at her mother and stood from the bed. "At least it's great for your tan." She turned towards the door and waved at her mom to follow her. "Now stop complaining and come downstairs with me. I'm hungry."

Her mother laughed but complied, following her daughter down to the kitchen. "I just worked out for an hour and now you want to waste it with food?"

"So have an apple or something." Chris glanced over her shoulder and winked at her mother. "Plus, I didn't ask if YOU were hungry, I just told you I was." She walked straight to the fridge and peeked inside, looking for something completely unhealthy to fill her growling stomach with.

"You really have an answer for everything, don't you?" She heard her mom tell her from behind her.

Chris shrugged as she rummaged through the fridge. "Of course! I'm your daughter."

Her mom pushed her aside and grabbed a bottle of water. "I don't think you got that from me."

Of all the excuses she could have said, she had to use that one. She sighed and grabbed a box of left-over Chinese. She got a fork and leaned against the counter, trying to force the smile back to her lips. If there was one thing she'd gotten from her mom, it was her power of perception. She swore this woman could see through her as if she were transparent. Sometimes it almost felt like she had a flashing neon sign hanging over her head announcing how she felt.

She opened the box and smelled its content. "Where are dad and Lacey?" She asked her mom, trying to change topic. She took a large bite from the cold noodles and looked up at her mother, who had sat on a stool on the opposite side of the counter.

Amanda glanced at the time on the microwave. "Well, Lacey should be back from school in about fifteen minutes. Your dad is still at work."

Chris nodded her head, looking down at the box in her hand. _'I really wanted to see dad.'_ She thought, pouting slightly. "What about our boys?"

The older woman drank from her bottle and frowned, trying to remember the most recent news she'd gotten from her sons. "Haven't heard from Aaron in a little while. Bradley seems to be spending more energy on partying than on his studies. I see him at least once a week, when he needs me to do his laundry or when he gets really hungry."

Chris laughed and nodded her head. "That's college just as I remember it."

Amanda rolled her eyes at her daughter. "And I can't believe we're the ones paying for all of it." She shook her head in disbelief. "Oh! And I think Felix has a new girlfriend."

"What happened to Monica?" she asked, genuinely surprised.

Her mom snorted. "She's been out of the picture for a while now." She sighed. "He really has to stop fooling around and find a good girl to share his life with."

"Mom, Felix is thirty-three years old, not forty. He's still got plenty of time." She walked over to the garbage and threw the still half-filled box in the trash, feeling a little nauseous. She dropped her fork in the sink and walked over to her mom, sitting on the second stool.

"Can't blame a mom for wanting the best for her children." She said, grinning at her daughter. She sighed and took her hand in hers, squeezing it reassuringly. "What about you? How's that new job?"

Chris grinned at her mom and nodded her head. "I love it."

"So you made the right decision?"

She nodded her head, unable to stop smiling. "Definitely. I've been working there for barely a week and I've already made friends. Everyone's very nice and welcoming. And my boss is awesome." Her smile weakened. _'Plus, I get to work with my sister.'_ Her mind added, the thought making her dark mood reappear.

Of course, her mom noticed it instantly. "Is something wrong, baby?"

Chris sighed and shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. Everything is perfect."

Amanda wanted to retort but was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing. She pinched her lips and squeezed her daughter's hand again, standing from the stool. "You know I'll find out what's bothering you sooner or later."

The younger woman rolled her eyes at her mother and smirked. "I'm fine, mom." She would've never said it out loud, but she was glad her mom still had that special touch. Knowing she knew something was up, even if she would never tell her what it was, made her feel a little better. She hated lying to her mother. Not that she was lying. She was simply hiding the truth… something she'd never had to do 'till now.

Thankfully, their conversation was interrupted by a short raven haired whirlwind jumping into her mother's arms. "Mommy!!!!"

Amanda bent down and hugged her young daughter. "His sweetheart! How was school?!?"

"It was fun." She looked passed her mom and spotted her big sister, who was smiling at her. "CHRIS!!!!" She ran up to her and lifted her arms up.

"Hey, squirt!" She picked her up, groaning as she lifted her. "I swear you're getting fatter and fatter."

Lacey shook her head and grimaced. "I'm not fat."

Amanda let out an irritated sigh, knowing how much her oldest daughter liked teasing her little sister. "No, you're not sweetheart. Chris just needs to remember you're not two years old anymore and you can actually stand on your own two feet."

"But she's still a baby." She pouted, crushing her cheek to her little sister's.

Lacey giggled and tightened her arms around Chris' neck, imitating her. "I'm still a baby."

"See?" Chris grinned proudly.

Their mother lifted her hands up, giving up, before walking over to the sink.

Chris laughed and put her sister down. "Lacey, we're a great team."

Zoe giggled and wrapped her short arms around her waist. "Are you staying for dinner, Chris?"

She looked down at her and shook her head. "I'm sorry, baby, I can't." She sighed, hating disappointing her sister. "I've got tons of things to do at my place." She wrinkled her nose playfully. "My apartment looks like a zoo… and smells like one too." She whispered, making the little girl giggle. "But I'll be back, alright? I promise we'll hang out together soon."

"Promise?"

Chris ruffled her soft black hair and grinned. "I promise." She walked over to her mom and gave her a short hug. "I've got to get going."

Amanda hugged her back and sighed. "Call me, alright?"

"I will." She answered, nodding her head. She tried walking out of her mom's embrace but found herself unable to move. "MOM, I really HAVE to go!"

The older woman groaned and let her go. "Alright, alright…"

Chris smiled and blew her sister a kiss as she made her way to the front door. She grabbed her purse from the couch and opened the front door. "Thanks for the food!" she shouted to her mom, closing the door before she heard an answer.

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PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm desperate!


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: Hey everyone! This is the fourth chapter out of... MANY. Hope you ENJOY IT!_

_I don't know why no one's reviewing though... :( I'll keep updating, 'cause I really like my story, but I wish you guys told me what you thought about it!_

_ANYWAY... GOOD READ!_

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**Chapter 4: Family Talk**

Chris sighed and leaned on her elbows on the glass table, chewing on her cheek as she waited for the results to come up. She reached up and played with one of her short golden locks, a habit she seemed to have developed since she'd gotten her hair cut a few days ago. She still wasn't used to having such short hair, since she'd had it long for as long as she could remember.

But she would get used to it. Actually, she liked her short bob already. It was a few inches longer than Valera's do, but was still a lot shorter than she'd ever had it.

Plus, she'd done it for a very good reason.

She'd started working for Miami Dade's Crime Lab a little over a month ago, and there hadn't been ONE day when someone hadn't called her Calleigh or reminded her how much the two women looked alike.

She'd decided to keep the secret from everyone, but people around her weren't making it easy. To avoid any more comments or questions, she'd just decided to cut her hair, which, up to now, seemed to be doing the trick.

Working with Calleigh was a lot easier than she had thought. She was very nice and patient, two qualities every lab technician enjoyed in their colleagues. However, she still had to work on keeping her emotions in check when she was around her.

"This is soooo fucked up…" she murmured under her breath, only to shriek in surprise as someone walked up behind her and snorted loudly.

"Are you talking to yourself?"

Chris straightened quickly and turned around, knowing who that voice belonged to. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?" Ryan grinned, playing dumb. "Isn't it a little crazy, talking to yourself?" he asked her, ignoring her question.

Chris laughed and shook her head. "No. I'll have you know that talking to yourself is a sign of great intelligence."

He snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, is it now?" he asked her, eyebrows raised.

She nodded. "Yes. It only gets weird when you start responding to yourself."

Ryan nodded and rolled his eyes. "Right." He pointed towards the machines. "I'm here for my results."

It was Chris' turn to roll her eyes at him. "So you like to sneak on people AND you're pushy?"

He tilted his head, amused by her comment. "Pushy? I'm not pushy. I'm just doing my job."

She cocked her head, imitating him and grinned. "You are pushy."

Ryan laughed and nodded his head. "Alright, I'm kinda pushy. But that's why I'm so good at what I do!"

"And I'm good at what I do because I've learned to be PATIENT." She answered, pointing her finger at him.

He crossed his arms over his chest. He'd learned pretty quickly that he'd never win with her. "Alright, alright… so, these results?"

She gave him a mischievous grin. "Ask me nicely."

He rolled his eyes and sighed, defeated. "Christina, Oh Christina, wonderful, perfect lab technician, can I please have my results?"

She gave him one of her dazzling smiles and nodded her head. "Of course you can, Ryan!" She answered cheerfully. "You know I never say NO to you!" She turned around, grabbed a copy of the results she'd gotten a few minutes before Ryan had showed up and gave them to him.

Ryan took the sheet from her hands and bowed his head. "Why, thank you Christina!"

"You're welcome, Ryan!" she chirped back. She watched him as his hazel eyes scanned the information, his lips spreading in a large grin.

"This day seems to get better and better!" He smiled at Chris and winked at her, clearly happy with the results in his hand. "Catch you later, Chris!"

Chris simply winked back at him and waved her hand as he turned around and started out of the lab. He stopped and turned just before he stepped out of the room. "Are you in for lunch a little later?"

She nodded, her smile growing larger. "Sure! Come get me when you want to go."

He nodded his agreement and waved one last time before disappearing down the hall.

Things with Calleigh might have been a little awkward, but it certainly wasn't with Ryan. The two of them had hit it off instantly. Somehow, she'd been able to crack him open and see the easygoing guy he could be, even at work. She was glad she'd been able to make a friend so quickly.

It was almost two hours later when Ryan came back to her lab. He knocked on the doorframe, as if she hadn't seen him approaching through the glass walls, and waved at her impatiently. "Come on, I'm so hungry I think I'm digesting myself from the inside."

She laughed, quickly got out of her lab coat and followed him out of the building.

"Are we taking my car or yours?" he asked her as they walked down the stairs.

"Yours, remember? Last time I drove, and you had to pay for the food." She reminded him.

"Right. So now you're the one paying. I like it!"

Chris snorted and followed him to his car. Somehow, taking their lunches together had become a routine. They'd made a deal: the person driving could choose the restaurant and the other had to pay for the two meals. Of course, they both made sure NOT to choose the most expansive meal on the menu… most of the time.

They climbed in the vehicle and drove out of the parking lot. "Where would you like to eat today?" Chris asked him, noticing how he seemed to know where he was going. "PLEASE tell me it's not Mc Crap again…"

Ryan laughed and shook his head. "No, I think I've learned my lesson with that one." He grinned at her. "Nah, today I want meat. Real meat." He pointed down the street. "I've been to this pretty good place a couple of times."

Chris smiled and nodded her agreement. "Sounds good!"

"Plus, Calleigh and Nat told me they would be there."

"Great!" Great. She sighed and stared out the window, defeated. She'd have to spend time with her outside of work sooner or later. Why not start today?

Before long Ryan had parked the car and they were walking towards the fancy looking restaurant. "MAN this is gonna cost me a fortune!" she exclaimed, eyes as large as saucers.

Ryan chuckled and shook his finger at her. "Have you already forgotten the last time YOU chose the restaurant, Chris?"

She giggled, remembering the lunch they'd had a couple of days ago. "Oh… yeah."

Ryan held the door open for her and followed her inside the restaurant, his eyes scanning the large room for their two colleagues. He grinned when he spotted them sitting a few tables away and waved at them. "There they are!"

Chris looked down at her feet and fidgeted with the hem of her purple polo shirt, trying to calm herself. She took a few deep breaths and squared her shoulders before following Ryan as he quickly made his way through the restaurant.

"Hey guys! Didn't know if you were still coming!" Natalia told them, giving the pair a huge smile.

"I'm so hungry I could eat everything on this menu." Ryan sat in front of the brunette, leaving Chris no other option than to sit on the opposite side of Calleigh.

The young blonde snorted at his comment and smacked his arm. "Remember I'm the one picking up the bill here." She told him, trying to go back to their usual easy banter. "I personally think you should have a salad."

Ryan shook his head. "And go hungry in ten minutes? Nah, I need my meat."

Calleigh and Natalia watched the exchange, amused by their easy bantering. Calleigh noticed Chris wrinkling her nose at Ryan's meat comment. "You don't like meat, Chris?"

Chris grinned and shook her head. "No. I'm a vegetarian."

Calleigh's eyebrows shut up in surprise. "Really? Like a total vegetarian?"

"I'm not a vegan. I only don't eat meat." She clarified.

It was her turn to shake her head. "I couldn't do it. I need to eat red meat at least once a day or I start seeing stars."

Chris smiled a real smile this time, glad to find out not everything about them was similar.

They all ordered their meals and chatted about everything and nothing, from a movie that just came out in theatres to lab gossip. Soon their food arrived and they all dug in, laughing as Ryan shoved huge pieces of meat into his mouth and chewed with difficulty.

Chris was happily munching on her grilled vegetables lasagna when their conversation took a new turn, one she had a feeling she wouldn't enjoy.

"So, Chris, tell us a little bit about you."

She swallowed her bite and raised her eyes to Calleigh, deep brown orbs meeting bright green. "What do you want to know?" she asked her, trying to decide what she would and wouldn't tell them.

"Well we don't know much about you… are you from around here?" The blonde CSI asked her, smiling sweetly.

That one was easy. "Yes, I was born and raised in Miami. I attended the University of Miami. Never been anywhere else, except on vacation."

Calleigh nodded her head. "And your family?"

She'd known this one was coming. "What about my family?" She certainly wouldn't tell them more than what they asked for.

Calleigh grinned. "Are they in Miami too?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah, my mom and dad live in Miami, along with my brothers and sister."

It was Natalia's turn to ask her a question. "Do you have a large family?"

"Three brothers and one sister." She grinned, unable to hide the pride she felt as she talked about her family.

Ryan chuckled. "Wow. I bet it was never boring in your household."

"Never." She took a bite from her food and chewed slowly, wondering if she should ask about Calleigh's family. "What about you?" She asked the question, reminding herself that she didn't care about the other woman's family. She did want to learn a little more about her though… which was a little unsettling.

"I'm from Louisiana, if you couldn't tell by my accent." She smiled and kept going. "My mother still lives there along with my two younger brothers."

Chris' eyes grew a little wider, realizing the Duquesne family didn't stop with Calleigh. _'She has brothers…'_ She realized Calleigh hadn't said anything about her father. "And… your father?"

"My parents divorced many years ago. My father also lives in Miami."

Chris gulped and looked down, repeatedly stabbing the remaining of her food with her fork. This meant she could've been grocery shopping and been standing next to him at the cash register and she would've never known it was him.

She wasn't really that hungry anymore.

Thankfully, Ryan seemed to feel the same way. "It's nice and all, you women getting to know each other, but I really have to go back to the lab."

Chris nodded her head eagerly and stood from her chair. "Let's get going then! I have a lot of work waiting for me too." She glanced at Ryan's empty plate and grimaced. "I can't believe I have to pay for that disgusting meal you just had."

Ryan let out a long satisfied sigh and patted his stomach. "It was delicious!"

Chris rolled her eyes. "Yeahyeahyeah… whatever." She looked at the two other women and grinned. "See you later, ladies!"

Calleigh smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "We'll see you at the lab." She turned her attention on Ryan and lifted her eyebrows. "Ryan, you should be ashamed for having her pay for your lunch."

Chris laughed along with the two other women and slapped her friend's arm playfully. "Yeah, Ryan. You should be ashamed."

"I'll remember that next time you make me pay for twenty-dollar tofu." He grumbled, walking away from the table.

The ride back to the lab was made in silence. Chris had way too much on her mind to keep a conversation and Ryan was trying not to fall asleep behind the wheel after the huge meal he'd had. When they finally reached the lab, Ryan parked his car and got out, followed by Chris. "You alright?" he asked her as she walked next to him.

Chris frowned. "Of course, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I don't know… you've been pretty quiet. It's making me kinda nervous."

She sighed and rolled her eyes at herself. _'I can't start acting weird at work…' _she thought. She really hated having to hide what was going on through her head. "I was just thinking, that's all." At least that was the truth.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He offered, his hazel eyes slightly concerned.

'_I wish I could…'_ she forced a grin to her lips and shook her head. "Nah, it's nothing important."

He frowned and watched her silently for a few seconds. He finally nodded his head, not wanting to force her into anything she wasn't totally at ease with. "Suit yourself."

Chris just hoped she hadn't hurt his feelings by refusing to tell him what was on her mind. They stayed quiet as they reached the building and made their way up to the lab. "I'll talk to you later, alright, Ry?" she told him, not wanting to part on a bad note.

Ryan nodded his head. "Hey do you have any plans for tonight?" He asked her just as she was about to walk away.

She grinned and shrugged. "I don't know. It's Friday. Any suggestions?" She gave him one of her bright smiles and wiggled her eyebrows playfully, making him chuckle.

"Do you want to come over to my place? I could cook you dinner and we could rent a movie or something." He offered.

She liked the idea. "It's interesting. But I don't want you to cook. Let's order pizza. And let's have wine. Lots of it. "

Ryan raised his eyebrows, a little surprised at her suggestion. "You sure?"

"Yes."

" Alright, that's cool. Any reason why you want to get wasted?" he tried.

"Do I need a reason to get wasted?" she answered.

He nodded his head, accepting her answer. If she didn't want to talk now, maybe she would after he got alcohol in her system. "Let's do it then!"

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_There! I'll update again soon!_

_PLEASE REVIEW THE CHAPTER! PLEASE!!!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: and on to chapter 5! **

**I hope you all enjoy it!**

**HUGE THANKS to MsDuquesneDelko and Sweetheartgirl for their MUCH MUCH APPRECIATED REVIEW!!!!!!**

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Chapter 5 : Mistake no.1

"Let's just order two pizzas."

Ryan shook his head, disagreeing. "It'll be a lot cheaper if we only get one large pizza."

Chris rolled her eyes at him and sighed impatiently. "Even if we ask them to separate it in half, I'm gonna find some of your pepperoni and sausages on my side." She grimaced. "I don't want that."

"Well I'm not having veggie pizza. I'm not a cow." He answered, arms crossed over his chest.

She frowned and put her hands on her waist. "Thanks."

After her shift had ended, Chris had gone to her apartment to change into some more casual clothes. She'd chosen to wear her favorite pair of black jeans along with a loose fitting v-neck t-shirt. She then had headed to Ryan's place, where he was supposed to be waiting for her. She hadn't been to his apartment often, only once or twice since they'd started hanging out together.

Max had asked her a couple of times if there was something going on between Ryan and her, which hadn't really surprised her. People always had difficulty believing a single man and a single woman could be simple friends. She'd told her the truth, that there was nothing more than friendship going on between them.

Chris hadn't really let herself think about Ryan in a romantic way. Sure, he was funny and intelligent. She always enjoyed having him around and she even thought he was very good looking. In any other situation, he would have been the exact type of guy she could've fallen for. But right now, her mind was occupied with another, more important detail…

She'd do everything to keep her secret from everyone. It would become difficult though, since she was working with some of the best investigators in the country. They already had the annoying habit of asking her way too many questions about her personal life… so she didn't know how she'd be able to avoid being found out if they decided they wanted to know more about her.

Plus, Ryan was her coworker. An office romance between them would be a horrible HORRIBLE idea.

Ryan sighed and shrugged. "Alright, fine. Let's order two pizzas." He grabbed his phone and pointed at one of the bottles of wine they'd left on the counter. "I'll order them, you open our first bottle."

"You got it!" She walked around the counter and started rummaging through the kitchen, looking for the wine opener. Of course, she found it EXACTLY where it should have been, something she would've never been able to do at her own place. Her apartment looked like a train wreck compared to Ryan's.

She opened the bottle as Ryan walked back into the kitchen. He got two wine glasses out of the cupboard and brought them to her, holding them as she poured it. He held her glass to her and grinned when she took it gracefully. Ryan stopped her from bringing it to her lips and shook his head. "Someone's really got to teach you some manners." He winked at her and raised his drink.

Chris grinned and winked back, raising her own drink up before bringing it to her lips. She took a long sip and smacked her lips, enjoying its rich taste. "What do you want to do now?"

Ryan shrugged. "We could choose the movie."

She nodded and headed for the living room. "Sure! How about a cute romantic comedy." She suggested, laughing as she heard him groan behind her.

By the time the pizza arrived, they'd emptied their first bottle of wine and still hadn't decided which movie they wanted to watch. Chris wouldn't have minded any one of Ryan's choices, but she just liked watching his face every time she disagreed. She would say yes eventually… she just wanted to see how long he could keep his cool.

Ryan paid for the pizzas, since Chris had paid for their lunch, and brought the two boxes to the table. She wanted to have dinner in the living room but Ryan said no, telling her nothing that had red tomato sauce would ever make it in there.

Funny… 'cause she always thought red wine on a beige couch was worse than tomato sauce.

She humored him anyway and sat next to him at the table. They ate their food and drank their second bottle of wine, not realizing how easily the alcohol flooded.

"You're drunk." Ryan announced as they were sitting on his couch, sipping on their third bottle of wine. They'd started the movie but neither one of them really gave it any attention. It would be difficult to watch anyway, since Chris couldn't keep her mouth shut for more than two seconds.

The blonde snorted in a very unfeminine way and pointed her glass at him. "So are you."

He brought the glass to his lips and grinned into it. "Nah, I'm just starting to feel the affect of the wine, that's it."

She laughed drunkenly and slapped his arm. "You're such a big liar."

Ryan chuckled and emptied his drink. He glanced at her, grinning sloppily. "I really like the new hair, by the way."

"Thanks." She answered, glad he liked it.

His gaze traveled over her top, his eyes lingering on her chest a little longer before he looked up at her again. "Pink is a very good color on you."

Chris rolled her eyes at him and grinned. "OH just say it, I look freaking hot."

"You _are_ freaking hot." He stated, smiling at her.

She would probably have blushed at his comment if her cheeks hadn't already been red from all the alcohol she'd drunk. "Are you flirting with me?" she asked him, knowing damned well he was.

He laughed and nodded his head, not even trying to hide it. "Yes… I may be drunker than I thought." He answered, making her laugh. "Is it bothering you?"

Chris shrugged and took a sip from her glass. "I don't know." She giggled. "Maybe it isn't such a good idea, considering I'm drunk… and you're looking pretty irresistible right about now." Her eyes travelled over his chest again, his gray t-shirt showing his well-defined muscles.

He moved to face her and put his arm over the back of the couch. "Is that such a bad thing?" He asked her, grinning devilishly.

She looked down at her almost empty glass and giggled again. "Oh, it may not be the brightest thing to do, no." _'Shut up, Chris. Shut up shut up shut up shut up.'_ The voice in her head told her, knowing she was playing on dangerous grounds.

Her eyes grew a little wider as she watched him put his glass on the coffee table. He scooted a little closer to her and took her own glass from her hand, putting it next to his. He didn't waste any time, wrapping his free arm around her small waist and bringing her closer to him. Grinning, he pressed his lips against hers, relishing in the soft moan he got from her.

She ignored the red lights flashing in her fuzzy brain and eagerly responded to his kiss. She let him deepen the kiss as he pushed her to lie down on the couch, covering her body with his.

**CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI**

'_This isn't my bed.'_ Chris opened her eyes slowly, moaning at the splitting pain in her head. She took in her surroundings, remembering where she was. _'I'm at Ryan's.'_

She sighed and brought her hands up to her head, massaging her pounding temples. How many bottles of wine did she have anyway? She groaned as the memories came back and let her arms fall to her sides. She'd had sex with Ryan. God dammit, just after she'd had that long talk with herself on how she _couldn't _start anything with him. She turned her head to his side of the bed and spotted him, still sleeping soundly. She sighed and bit her lip. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.

What should she do? She couldn't leave without talking to him. They were colleagues for god's sake. She sighed and pushed the covers off her body, rolling her eyes at her nakedness. She needed a shower and about half a dozen pain killers. And a toothbrush.

She found where he kept his towels and went into the bathroom, needing to clear her head. She stayed in the shower longer than necessary, starting to dread the moment when she'd have to talk with Ryan.

She finally got out of the bathroom, the large towel wrapped tightly around her body as she went searching for her clothes, which were probably still in the living room where everything had started. She found her jeans and t-shirt on the floor by the couch, and her bra behind it. She couldn't see her panties anywhere, even after she looked under Ryan's clothes which had also been thrown here and there around the couch. She finally found them stuck between the cushions of the couch. She quickly got dressed and combed her wet hair with her fingers.

"Time to face the music." She said out loud, not wanting to wait any longer before talking to Ryan.

She went back to the bathroom and grabbed three painkillers from the small bottle along with a glass of water. She made her way back into his bedroom and found him still deeply asleep. He was lying on his stomach, his face hidden in his pillow. She went back to her side of the bed and sat down before she poked him in the shoulder. She had to poke him a couple of times before he finally showed signs of waking up. Chris winced as her cracked his eyes open and grimaced from the pain she knew he felt. She gave him a sympathetic smile and offered him the glass and pills.

Ryan groaned and slowly sat up. He took the pills from her hand and threw them in his mouth before drinking half of the water she'd gotten for him.

"Hi." She said, trying to force a smile to her lips.

Ryan let out a long breath and closed his eyes, trying to will the pain away. "Hi." He answered, his voice raspy.

They both stayed quiet, not knowing what to say next.

Chris breathed out, breaking the silence. "Well this is awkward…" she mumbled.

"You're telling me." Ryan grumbled. He rubbed his face and breathed deeply before looking up at her. "Look, Chris…"

"Ryan…" she tried, but was interrupted as he finally seemed to find the words he was looking for.

"I don't know how you feel about… what happened… but I don't think it was a good idea." He pinched his lips, fighting the urge to curl back into bed and let himself die slowly. He shook his head slowly, watching her face. "I don't want to get into anything serious… it simply wouldn't be the best thing for me right now."

Chris let out a relieved breath and nodded her head eagerly. "I'm so glad you think that way." She shook her head. "You're a great friend, Ryan. I'd really like to keep you that way."

Ryan relaxed visibly. "So… we're ok?"

"Yeah." She smiled, relieved.

"Great." He pointed behind him and grimaced. "I really need to use the bathroom."

"Go ahead." She answered, waiting for him to move.

He winced and pointed at his lap. "I'm… kinda naked."

"OH!" Chris stood from the bed and started backing out of the room. "I'll wait for you in the kitchen."

Ryan nodded and watched her walk out of the room before climbing out of the bed, groaning. He relieved himself and brushed his teeth before going back into his bedroom to put some clothes on. He pulled out a pair of pajama pants and left the room to find Chris. He found her leaning over the counter on her elbows, hiding her face in her hands. "You alright?"

She jumped slightly and straightened herself, giving him a sheepish smile. "I'm fine… just exhausted." She chuckled, embarrassed. "I can't believe we did that."

Ryan grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Me neither…. But DAMN it was good."

Chris snorted and laughed with him. "Ooooh yeah." She agreed, trying to keep herself from blushing. "But you know if we want to keep this friendship intact, we can't have sex every time we have a drink or two."

"We didn't have A drink… we almost had three bottles of wine, Chris." He went over to his coffee machine and turned it on. All his body needed right now was caffeine… LOT'S of it. "You want me to make you breakfast?"

Chris wrinkled her nose and shook her head, not believing her weak stomach could handle food right now. "Nah, I'm gonna head home. I need to sleep."

"Suit yourself." He followed her over to the front door and watched her slip her shoes on and lift her purse over her shoulder. "I'll see you at work tomorrow?"

She nodded her head and opened the door. "Yep! Have a good day!"

'_Can you really believe you're gonna be walking out of here like nothing happened?'_ Her mind told her. But right then, she was way too hung over to care.

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_Sex makes things so complicated sometimes..._

_Hope you enjoyed! PLEASE REVIEW THE CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: Chapter 6!!!!!!_

_READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_I want more reviews!!!! So many people are reading the story but I'm not getting enough reviews... and it SUCKS!!!!!_

_OH!!!!! BUT I'm rewarding those who HAVE reviewed my chapters with... A MILLION DOLLARS! lol_

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**Chapter 6: mistake no.2**

Chris groaned in irritation as she glanced at the mountain of work still waiting for her. She loved her job, she really did. She just wished she could have more equipment at her disposition... she'd be able to work so much faster that way.

She lifted her eyes just as Jesse and Walter walked in front of her lab, making their way towards the elevator. She sighed and pouted, feeling somewhat envious. She sometimes wished she could follow the CSI's out of the lab. They always seemed to have something interesting to talk about. The job looked so exciting.

Plus, they had really cool rides.

"What's up with you?"

Chris raised her eyebrows and turned her head towards the voice that had interrupted her thoughts. Valera was grinning at her, looking slightly curious.

"What do you mean?" She asked, wondering if she'd done something to deserve that look. She always seemed to get caught doing the most random things…

Max shrugged. "I don't know… you look like a poodle that was left in the car by its owner."

The blonde chuckled, finding the comparison quite accurate. "I was just thinking, nothing more."

"Alright… So are you coming with us after work?" She asked her, putting her lab coat back on.

Chris lifted her shoulders and grimaced, not really feeling like it. Walter had told her that a bunch of people were planning on grabbing a drink or two after work. She'd liked the idea at first, but that was before she'd seen the mountain of work waiting for her. "I don't know… I've got so much work to finish here."

Max rolled her eyes and put her hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at her. "Hey, you're human, alright? If we only left the lab when there was nothing left to analyze, we'd have to set up a bunk bed in here."

She chuckled. "I've always wanted to have a bunk bed." She shook her head and sighed. "You're right, Max." she sighed and gave her a small smile. "Tell you what, I'll think about it."

Valera seemed satisfied with her answer, at least for now. They kept working in silence, right until Max forced her to take a break. Groaning, Chris went to the break room and grabbed herself a bottle of water from the fridge before sitting down on the small black couch. She drank half of the water, staring at the wall in front of her. She spotted a newspaper at the other end of the couch and grabbed it, trying to focus her mind on something other than work. She stared at the words, trying to make some sense out of them, but gave up. She threw the paper back where she'd taken it and groaned. Her mind clearly wasn't cooperating.

As she was walking back towards her lab, she spotted a man standing by the front desk. He was looking at her, grinning, which made her doubt if she knew him. She frowned and slowed down, trying to remember where she could know him from. She almost gasped when he opened his arms towards her, his smile growing even larger. _'What the…'_

"Sweetheart!"

She stopped abruptly and was about to ask him who the hell he was when she heard a voice just behind her.

"Dad! What are you doing here?"

Chris stopped short and watched with wide eyes as Calleigh walked passed her and almost ran into her father's opened arms. She watched them, unable to breathe or think as reality dawned on her.

It was him. Kenwall Duquesne, her biological father. He had looked straight at her, had smiled in her direction, but had no idea who she was.

She stood there, dumbstruck as Calleigh and her father exchanged a few warm words. She held her breath when both of them looked at her, probably noticing her staring at them. Calleigh smiled and waved at her, holding onto her father's arm. "Chris! I think you've never met my father, have you?"

She gulped and forced a shaky smile to her lips. She shook her head, not trusting her voice.

The blonde walked up to her, pulling her father with her, wanting to introduce him. "Dad, this is Christina Crawford. Chris, this is my dad, Kenwall Duquesne."

Chris shook his hand, unable to tear her eyes away from the man's face.

Mr. Duquesne gave her a huge smile and nodded his head politely. "Pleased to meet you. I take it you haven't been working here long?" He had the exact same accent she'd heard from Calleigh.

She shook her head, still unable to find her voice.

"She's been working at the lab since, what, a little more than a month?" Calleigh looked at her, making sure she had it right.

Chris nodded her head and answered quickly. "Yes."

"Well, I'm sure we'll get to meet again, Christina. I like to surprise my girl with a little visit once in a while." He told her, wrapping his arm around Calleigh's shoulders.

"Yes… I… I have to get back to work." She croaked out, before turning around and walking away from the pair.

She walked fast, not really seeing where she was going until she made it into the women's restroom. She walked in, thankful to find it empty, and locked herself in one of the stalls. She closed the toilet and sat down, burying her face into her hands. She finally let out the long breath she'd been holding, fighting the urge to turn around and empty her stomach.

She'd never thought seeing this man would make her react that way. She hadn't even imagined meeting him, let alone talk to him. She'd only started thinking about him after she'd met Calleigh.

She sat there for a while, staring at the white door, trying to get over what had just happened. She finally dropped her hands to her lap and threw her head back, taking long deep breaths.

She still had work to do, no matter what had just happened here. She didn't know what to think, and frankly, she had no intention of doing it at work.

She came out of the stall and went over to the sink. She splashed cold water on her face and looked at her reflection. She was ghostly pale and her eyes were wide. Other than that, no one would ever know she'd just gone through one of the most difficult situations of her life.

She walked out into the corridor and made her way back to her lab, needing to get back to work.

**CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI**

"Slow down, Chris!"

Chris rolled her eyes and emptied her drink, grimacing as the liquid burned her throat. "What do you mean, 'slow down'???" she asked, annoyed.

Ryan, who was sitting right next to her, leaned closer and bumped her shoulder with his. "This is what, your fourth drink?" he asked her, raising his chin at her now empty glass.

She raised an eyebrow, not really seeing his point.

He chuckled and brought his face a little closer to hers, grinning. "Well, judging by your size… and from what we experienced a few days ago… you should DEFINITELY take a break." He told her, chuckling at the look she sent him. "Plus, I don't want to carry you home."

She groaned rolled her eyes at him, pouting. "Alright, I'll take a five minute break." She leaned closer to him, bringing her face only a few inches closer to his. "By the way, you're the one who jumped me, not the other way around."

If she thought that comment would shut him up, she was dead wrong. "And from what I remember, I wasn't the only one enjoying it." He retorted, giving her a cocky grin.

She pulled back and sighed, irritated. Ryan was right… she tended to make really bad decisions when she was drunk. She also knew she should take Ryan's advice and stop drinking for the night. However, she had to choose between drinking and having fun, or going home and thinking about what'd happened today.

Alcohol, right now, sounded A LOT more welcoming than a night of dark thoughts.

After she'd gone back in her lab, she'd focused her mind on her work, pushing her feelings deep down. At the end of their shift, Max had all but dragged her with them to have a drink, which she was glad now. Not that she was feeling that much better, but at least the alcohol numbed everything.

"Why are you drinking so much anyway?" Ryan asked her, frowning curiously. "I know you don't really need a reason to get drunk… but did something happen?"

Chris sighed and rolled her eyes. As much as she would love telling him all about how fucked up her life was lately, she had to keep it for herself. "You know what sucks?" She asked him, changing subject.

Ryan grinned and waited for her to keep going.

She nodded. "I'll tell you what sucks. These paper napkins." She deadpanned, lifting the bright blue napkin up to his face.

He frowned and took it from her, not really getting her drunken babbling. "The paper napkins suck?"

"Yep. They suck. You know what else sucks?" She asked him, eyebrows raised high. "Life. Life sucks. Too many surprises. I hate surprises." She dead panned, pouting at her empty drink.

Ryan chuckled and shook his head. "Chris, you're not making any sense." He pointed his finger at her. "Want to know what I think? You're a lot more drunk than you think."

Chris laughed at his comment and grabbed his drink from his hand. "And right about now, I don't fucking care." She announced, emptying his glass before he could stop her.

Max and Walter came back to their table just as Chris was giving Ryan his glass back. They set four full drinks on the table and sat down, still laughing at something Walter had probably said. "Hey guys! We brought you some more drinks!"

Ryan grimaced but took the drink anyway. "Thanks." He watched Chris as she lifted her own new drink, gave Walter one of her dazzling smiles and brought it to her lips. She could've been drinking water and she wouldn't have drunk it any differently.

Maxine pointed her finger accusingly at the other woman, scowling at her. "Chris, I brought you here so you'd let loose and have fun. But I thought you'd be a funnier drunk than that." She told her, trying to look disappointed in her.

Chris gasped and stood up, slapping Ryan's arm as he had started laughing. "Don't laugh! I can be funny. I am funny." She walked around the table and grabbed Walter's hand. "Walter, I wanna dance with you." She snorted, holding onto his arm to stay steady. "Now THAT'S gonna be funny."

Walter laughed and nodded his head, always willing to make a girl happy. "You want me to show you my moves, Chris?"

She threw her head back and laughed. "Show me your moves, Walter!" she shouted over the music, following the very tall man on the dance floor.

Ryan and Max watched them with amusement. They really made a funny pair. Max took a sip from her drink and nudged Ryan's elbow. She lifted her chin towards Chris and gave him a puzzled look. "What's up with her?"

He shook his head, not really surprised she'd noticed Chris' attitude. "I have no idea. I think she's got something on her mind, but she won't talk about it."

"Well, she sure won't talk to me. I tried talking to her a few times. Nothing." She told him, shaking her head. "She's trying as hard as she can to hide something from us."

Ryan turned his attention back on the pair on the dance floor and nodded his agreement. Chris was definitely keeping something from them, and he would find out what it was.

**CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI**

'_Someone kill me.'_ That was the first thought Chris had as she started waking up. Her head was pounding and her body felt as if she was run over by a truck. Unfortunately, she'd woken feeling the exact same way not that long ago. She cracked her eyes open and groaned, realizing where she was. _'No fucking way…'_

It had happened again. She was in Ryan's bed, completely naked.

She winced and turned her head to the side, coming face to face with a disheveled (and equally naked) Ryan. She straightened her head and groaned, bringing her hands up to her face. She KNEW she shouldn't had gone out with the gang and KNEW she shouldn't have drank that much. When she drank, she simply stopped caring about pretty much everything.

She sighed and glanced at Ryan again. She'd actually been the one who had started everything last night. She could remember everything. Ryan and her had gotten a cab, Ryan having drunk a little too much to drive. He offered to ride with her to her apartment, but she'd told him she wanted to sleep at his place. He had agreed and everything had seemed pretty innocent, right until she'd jumped on him the moment they'd walked in his apartment. Ryan hadn't tried pushing her away and had eagerly dragged her to his bed.

She sighed and pinched her lips, studying his face. She could easily develop feelings for him if she let herself. But she wouldn't do it. Not when her head was completely occupied with something else.

Plus, he'd told her he didn't want a relationship.

She saw him frown and slowly open his eyes, his gaze quickly focusing on her. He seemed to think for a few seconds and finally sighed, probably coming to the same realizations she'd had when she'd first woken up. "Mornin'." He whispered.

She gave him an unsure grin. "Hey."

"This is becoming a pattern." He mumbled, bringing one of his hands up to his temple.

Chris sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Look, Ryan, I don't want to have that talk again. We both know what we did and we both know it should've never happened."

Ryan stared at her for a few seconds and finally nodded his head, agreeing with her. "Right. It was another simple mistake." He groaned and sat up, making sure to keep the covers over his waist. "Let me get a dozen painkillers and then, I'll make you breakfast. Alright?" he lifted his hand, stopping her from saying anything. "Let me do that for you."

Chris sighed and followed his movement, keeping the covers over her chest. "Fine. But you gotta get me a few of these painkillers too. I've got a MASSIVE headache."

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_??????????_


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's note: Thanks for the reviews guys! Please keep 'em coming!_

_Now on to chapter 7! ENJOY!!!!!!!!!_

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**Chapter 7: Visitors**

'_I hate slow shifts.'_ Chris thought, pouting at the wall.

She hated having to wait for work to come to her. And today was one of those days. She'd been at the lab since seven am, and she'd already finished everything she'd had to analyze.

She sighed irritably and glanced at the clock for what seemed like the hundredth time. _'Half an hour left before lunch break.'_

She straightened her head and went back to staring at the wall. She was sitting at the table in the break room, resting her chin on her folded hands.

When she'd first started working here, she'd thought the glass walls would be a total invasion of her privacy. She'd more or less felt as if the people here weren't completely trusted. But after a while, she'd come to enjoy seeing through the walls. Like now. She was sitting at the table, looking like she was minding her own business, but she was actually watching her colleagues walk through the lab.

She'd seen some pretty good stuff from where she was sitting. She'd seen Jesse clean his teeth with his finger nail. She'd seen Horatio walk in front of the break room quite a few times, and every time, he'd had his phone up to his ear. She'd spotted Walter staring at a hot brunette's ass. That'd been really funny, since the girl had looked over her shoulder and caught him doing it. The look on her face: priceless.

She'd also seen Calleigh. She hadn't been able to keep herself from watching her every movement. Calleigh was simply one of the nicest people she'd ever met. She smiled at everyone she crossed, making them feel a little more special. She would talk with her coworkers, touch their shoulders in support, smile at them.

Chris would never admit it to anyone, but she wished she was a little more like her. Calleigh seemed to be able to have good relations with everyone. Chris had a very outgoing personality, one a lot of people had difficulty dealing with. She could be the perfect coworker and professional, but when it came to being herself, she always had to censure what came out of her mouth.

She wondered how Calleigh would react if she found out she was her sister. THAT would probably wipe the smile off her face. Finding out your father was a cheating bastard who had gotten another woman pregnant would NOT be welcomed news.

Or maybe she wouldn't react too bad. Somehow, she couldn't imagine Calleigh angry. Maybe she'd even accept her as her sister.

Chris sighed loudly and shook her head at her own thoughts. That would never happen, 'cause Calleigh would never find out.

She turned her gaze back on the clock and straightened herself up. She had to go. She stood from the table and walked out of the room, making her way slowly towards the elevator. She wasn't having lunch with Ryan today; she had promised Lacey she'd take her out for lunch. But she had to get her from school first. The only thought of spending time with her little sister brought the smile back to her lips. She loved having these special times with Lacey.

She was just about to walk out of the building when Ryan walked in. He grinned at her and flipped his cell phone shut. "Hey, Chris! I was just about to call you! Ready to go to lunch?"

Chris gave him an apological smile and shook her head. "I can't, sorry. I'm having lunch with my sister."

Ryan seemed surprised. "Really? Your sister? Is she as hot as you are?" he asked her, the cocky grin back on his face.

Chris nodded her head. "Oh she's cute, alright." At least she wasn't lying; Lacey was the cutest little seven-year-old.

"Is she single?" Apparently, Ryan thought Lacey was a cute twenty-five-year-old.

She chuckled and bowed her head. "I've got to go, Ryan."

He sighed, disappointed, and pointed towards the exit. "Fine. Go."

"I'll see you later, Ry!" she answered, still laughing. She could already imagine the expression he'd have on his face if he got to see Lacey. She pushed the door open and walked out, squinting slightly as the bright light hit her eyes.

"CHRIS!!!!!!"

She gasped in shock as she spotted her little sister running up to her. Lacey quickly reached her and attached herself to her waist, almost knocking her over. Chris' grin was tight, her eyes nervously looking over her shoulder to see if anyone could see them.

"I missed you so much!" Lacey squealed, looking up at her.

Chris looked down at her sister and gave her a nervous smile. "Lace! What are you doing here? Who picked you up from school?"

The young girl detached herself from her waist and turned around. "Felix brought me!" She shouted, waving at her big brother.

Chris's eyes grew in surprise when she looked up and spotted her brother slowly making his way up to them. "Felix!"

Felix gave her a large smile, clearly happy to see her. "Hi, little sis'!" he finally reached her and pulled her into a huge bear hug, squeezing a giggling Lacey between them. "How's my favorite sister doing?"

Lacey pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hey! You told me _I_ was your favorite sister."

Felix laughed and tickled her. "You're my favorite shrimp, you know that!" he told her, before picking her up into his arms. He kissed her cheek and put her back down. "Is there something wrong, Chris? I seriously thought you'd be happier to see me."

Chris sighed and shook her head. "Nothing's wrong… you just surprised me. I was supposed to pick her up from school."

He shrugged. "Mom told me about your plans so I thought I'd join you." He grinned at her and nudged her shoulder. "I haven't seen or heard from you in a while."

She nodded her head quickly, took Lacey's hand and started leading her away from the entrance. "You're right! Let's go then! We'll talk during lunch."

Felix rolled his eyes at her and lifted his arm over his sister's shoulders. "There's no hurry!" he told her, shaking her a bit. "Don't you want to show us around your new work place? I'm curious. I'd like to see what it looks like."

She shook her head and kept walking away from the building. "Nope, no time." She told him, not leaving place for an argument. She smiled at him, her grin not really reaching her eyes. "I'm so glad you decided to come, Felix!" Now that wasn't a total lie. She WAS happy to see him. She just would've liked to see him somewhere else.

Her big brother lifted his eyebrows skeptically, but decided to keep himself from commenting. He knew she wasn't being totally honest with him. He smiled back and nodded his head at her, deciding to play along. "I'm glad I decided to come along, too, lil'sis'."

**CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI**

Ryan was sitting at the table in the break room, finishing his lunch, when Chris walked in. "Hey, look who's here!"

He looked up from his almost empty plate and smiled. "You're back already?"

Chris pulled a chair and sat in front of him. "My sister's lunch break is short." She stole a french frie from his plate and nibbled at it. "Eating healthy again, I see."

Ryan lifted his chin at her and slapped her hand away as she reached to grab a second one. "And who's eating my food when they just came back from their own lunch?"

Chris rolled her eyes at him and shrugged her shoulders. "I won't answer that accusation."

"Hey, you two!"

They both turned their eyes to Calleigh, who'd just joined them in the room. She went over to the coffee machine and got herself a cup of the steaming liquid. She pulled the chair next to Chris and sat down, smiling happily to both of them.

"Hi!"

"Hey, Cal! Anything new on the Robertson case?" Ryan asked, all business even during in lunch break.

"No, nothing major." She sipped on her hot drink and touched Chris' forearm, grabbing her attention. "Is there something you haven't told us about, Chris?" she asked her, looking like someone who knew something others didn't.

The young blonde lifted her eyebrows, wondering what she meant. "What do you mean?" '_Wooooah there… I don't like this, I don't like this at all.'_ She thought, on her guards.

Calleigh cocked her head and gave her a wide smile. "You told us you had brothers and sisters, but I didn't know you had a daughter!"

Chris' mouth fell. A daughter? "What?!?!" She glared at Ryan, who'd chuckled the moment he'd heard the words leave Calleigh's mouth.

Calleigh's eyes went from Ryan to Chris, obviously not getting their reaction. "So I take it I'm wrong?"

Chris nodded her head but frowned, still not getting where she'd gotten that idea. "Why would you think I have a child?"

"I saw you leaving the lab with a really good looking man and a young girl a little earlier. You all looked so close, I just thought… maybe… you'd just forgotten to tell us about her." She told her, suddenly sounding a little less sure of what she'd seen.

That seemed to get Ryan's attention. He was frowning, staring at her, apparently waiting for an explanation.

Chris, on the other hand, was fighting with herself not to stand up and leave the room. She could feel her cheeks burning as she tried finding a way out of this. There wasn't. "It wasn't my daughter, it was my little sister. And the man you saw me with is my brother, Felix."

Calleigh frowned slightly, trying to make some sense out of the new information. "Your brothers and sister are Cuban?"

She looked down at her hands and nodded her head. "Yes." She sighed and kept going. "My mom and dad got together when I was still a baby."

Calleigh smiled and nodded her head. "Now I understand! Makes a lot more sense!" She cocked her head, still studying the younger woman. "I don't know why you look so embarrassed about it."

Chris shook her head and gave her a small grin. "Oh, I'm not! I'm just… not used to sharing that much about my personal life."

She nodded her head. "I understand. And I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." She told her, squeezing her forearm. "You should feel free to tell us about you. We're colleagues and, I hope, friends."

Chris looked up at her and breathed out. "Sure." She told her, agreeing with her. _'And more.' _

**CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI**

Chris sighed as she made it inside her apartment, closing the door behind her. _'Man I never thought this day would ever end.' _She thought, throwing her handbag on the small table by the door. She lost a shoe, than the other one and made her way straight to the couch. She fell face first on it, hiding her face into the cushions.

She heard her phone ringing. She went back to her purse and fished through it, looking for her cell. Of course, as usual, she couldn't find it. This time, she was home, so no one would care if she emptied it on the floor, which she did. She finally found and brought it up to her ear. "Yes?" she answered, sounding a lot angrier than she'd intended to.

"_Woah, am I catching you at a bad time?"_

'_Ryan.'_ She thought, shaking her head. "No. Yes. I don't know."

She could almost see his perplexed face. _"Okay… hey, what's your apartment number?"_

The question didn't really register in her head. "Twelve. Why?" Why would he need her apartment number?

"_Alright, I'm coming up!"_

She gasped. "WHAT??!?!? Ryan?" She shut her phone and groaned, her eyes flying around her apartment. This place was a MESS!!! She ran around the main living areas, grabbing pieces of clothing and discarded shoes as she went. She took everything into her bedroom and threw them in her closet, just in case he'd check in the room. She made her bed clumsily and pushed some more shoes under her bed. She then ran back into the living room, swearing as she straightened the cushions and pillows. She glanced at her small kitchen and sighed. At least she'd already washed the mountain of dirty dishes she'd had in her sink.

She grimaced as she scanned the room around her, still not totally satisfied with the way it looked. "That's what happens when you decide to show up unannounced…" she groaned, deciding she wouldn't care.

She jumped slightly when she heard a few sharp knocks at her door. She winced, noticing the mess she'd made when she'd emptied her purse on the floor. She walked over to it, shoved everything back into her bag and threw the thing next to her shoes. She finally opened the door, forcing a smile to her lips as she stepped aside to let Ryan walk in. "Hi! What are you doing here?"

Ryan walked in and turned around and grinning. "I've never been to your place, I just thought I'd pay you a little visit." He told her, shrugging.

Chris lifted her eyebrows. "Oh, really? Why don't I believe you?" she walked around him and sat on her couch, silently inviting him to do the same.

He followed her and sat on the couch, facing her. He sighed and shook his head. "I knew you wouldn't buy that excuse." He tilted his head his hazel eyes studying her. "I wanted to talk about what happened earlier."

Chris looked down at her hands, knowing what he was talking about. "You're still curious?" she asked him, her voice harsh.

"Actually, yes, I am." He sighed and frowned slightly. "Why do you become so defensive when anyone asks you about your family?" He waited for her to answer, but she stayed quiet. He sighed and pinched his lips, not wanting to force her into anything she wasn't willing to say. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. I won't be angry or anything."

She sighed and looked down at her hands. "I'm just a private person, that's all. Why does it bother you so much anyway?

Ryan shrugged and grinned softly. "Because I care about you."

She glanced up at him, her chocolate brown eyes watching him. "Thank you." She stood from the couch, walking over to the door. Ryan thought she would ask him to leave, but instead of opening the door, she reached for a frame she'd hung on the wall. She came back to the couch and gave him the frame.

Ryan looked at the picture and smiled. "Looks like you have a great family."

Chris sat a little closer to him and grinned softly, nodding her head. "It IS a great family." She pointed at the members of her family. "This is my mom and my dad. This is Felix, the brother Calleigh saw with me outside work. This is Aaron and this is my youngest brother, Bradley." Her grin widened as her eyes fell on the last member of her family. "And this is Lacey."

Ryan gave her a look and chuckled. "At least you weren't lying. She IS cute."

"Isn't she?" She agreed, nodding her head.

He studied the picture and looked up at her again. "You don't look like your mother." He commented.

Chris sighed. "I know."

"Do you know where your father is?" Ryan asked her, handing her the picture back.

"My father is home with my mom." She let out a long irritated breath and looked down. "I don't know and simply don't care where my biological father is."

He frowned. "I take it he's out of the picture. No pun intended."

She stayed quiet but nodded her head in agreement.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to put you in a bad mood. I can see it's a touchy subject for you."

"AND that's why we're gonna change topic." She told him, standing up from the couch to bring the picture back where she'd taken it.

Ryan stood up too and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Thanks for opening up a little, Chris." He told her, glad he'd gotten to know a little more about her.

"No problem." She glanced at her wrist and grinned. "Do you want to stay for dinner?" She wasn't a hundred percent positive she wanted company right now, but she knew Ryan would be able to make her feel better. He was already doing it without even trying.

"Sure! As long as you cook for me." He told her, grinning mischievously.

That got a chuckle from her. "We're not afraid of danger I see."

* * *

_THERE! I know.... short. Sorry. I promsie I'll update soon!_

_PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!!!!!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's note: This is chapter 8! Thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter._

_PLEASE READ and REVIEW!!!!! I'm kinda losing interest in this story... Writing is difficult when you're not sure if readers are enjoying it!_

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**Chapter 8: Mistake no. … Oh and what the hell.**

Chris groaned to herself as the memories from the previous evening came back to her head.

They'd done it again. They'd had sex. And this time, they couldn't even put the blame on alcohol, 'cause they hadn't had any. No, this time, they could only blame themselves.

After Ryan had decided to stay over for dinner, they'd found something eatable in her fridge and got busy preparing some food. Of course she had tons of veggies but no meat, which had gotten a pout from Ryan. However, Chris had managed to prepare a pretty good pasta dish, which had seemed to make him happy.

After their dinner was eaten and the dishes cleaned, they'd ended up on the couch again, flipping through the channels. They'd started sitting on either side of her couch but had slowly found themselves drifting closer to each other. Before long, Chris was cuddled against his side, Ryan's arm wrapped around her shoulders. She'd started drawing lazy circles on his thigh, not knowing the affect her fingers were having on him. He'd responded by slowly caressing her arm up and down. They'd kept this up for a while and before she knew what was going on, she was biting her lower lip to keep herself from moaning as he ravaged her neck with his lips.

Everything that had happened after seemed unreal. He'd moved her to face him and had kissed her lips, holding her tightly against his chest. She'd groaned into his mouth and fisted her hands in his hair as she completely lost herself in his kiss.

No words were needed as he'd taken her to her bedroom.

She had no idea what had brought them to that point. Did he just want to make her feel better? Was it their close proximity? One thing was for certain, she'd enjoyed it as much as he had.

However, unlike the previous times they'd found themselves in the same situation, she was alone when she woke up. She had no idea when and why he'd left her bed and quite frankly, it bothered her. He'd seemed alright with their actions before… why would he leave without even telling her this time?

Chris groaned and shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think about her personal problems. She had way too much work to focus her mind on.

To think just yesterday, she was complaining about how little work she had and about how she hated having to wait for it to come to her.

She breathed out and rubbed her face with her hands. She had no idea how she'd ever be able to finish everything. Jesse and Walter had already been in her lab twice, asking her to work faster on their samples, which had put her in a dark mood. And Max HAD to take a day off on what would soon become the busiest day of the year.

She let out a long sigh and pulled her gloves off. As much as these samples needed to be analyzed, she was still human. And this human here needed a large black coffee before she completely lost it.

She walked out of her lab and made her way to the break room. Glad to find it empty, she made a bee-line for the coffee machine and poured herself a large cup of the steaming liquid. She undid her high ponytail and shook her hair before tying it up again. She rubbed her eyes and groaned, desperately needing to bring some life back into her numb limbs. She jumped up and down, shaking her arms and her legs.

"Getting ready for a jog?" she heard Calleigh ask her from the door.

She stopped jumping and looked up, smiling tiredly. "Don't ask." She grumbled.

Calleigh walked over to her and started working on fixing herself a cup of coffee. "You look exhausted." She told her, giving her a sympathizing smile.

Chris nodded her head and sighed. "You have no idea. I think I can smell my own brain burning." She grinned as Calleigh let out a good hearted laugh. "How's your day going? I heard you're also all very busy." '_You have to be, since Ryan hasn't even been around to say hi.'_ She thought bitterly.

Calleigh nodded her head and leaned against the counter next to her. "We're just not getting anywhere. It makes me so frustrated, you know?" she brought the cup to her lips and took a tentative sip. "Every second counts in this job." She added.

The younger blonde nodded her head in agreement before pushing herself away from the counter. "Talking of which, I have to get back to my lab… these samples won't get done by themselves."

Calleigh nodded her head and laid her hand on the younger woman's shoulder just as she was about to walk off. "Don't overwork yourself, alright?" she gave her a warm a smile. "And remember, if you ever feel like talking to someone, I'm here."

Chris felt her heart tighten at her words. "I'll remember that." She answered, grinning softly.

"I know we don't really know each other, but I'm sure you and I could become really close friends, Chris." She added, smiling softly.

"Thank you, Calleigh." _'You don't know what this means to me.'_ She added in her head. Her sister nodded her head and walked out of the room, leaving the younger woman alone again.

Chris watched her walking away, wondering when she'd started seeing this woman as her family. She'd spent so much time trying to push everything about her biological father out of her mind, she hadn't even realized how much she actually WANTED to have Calleigh as her sister. She'd never had an older sister and never would've thought she'd want it so bad.

And now, Calleigh had just given her the chance to get closer to her and get to know her better.

'_I think I'm gonna sell my life story to a big movie producer or something… I'll make millions.'_ She thought, shaking her head at herself. She'd actually played a big part in all the shit that's been going on lately.

She took a deep breath and pushed her thoughts aside. She had to get back to her samples. Coffee in hand, she made her way back to her lab to finish her work.

At the end of the day, she'd accomplished what she thought was impossible: she'd been able to finish everything she'd been given to analyze. She was tired though, exhausted even, and only wanted to go home and sleep.

She had a satisfied grin on her face as she waited for the elevator doors to open so she could go home and get some well-deserved rest. The doors finally opened and she walked in, looking down as she fished through her purse for her keys… she just never learned.

"Are you going to attack that thing again?"

She glanced up and looked back down instantly. _'Ryan.'_ She'd almost forgotten about him. Almost. She plastered a grin to her lips and looked up again. "Hi."

She could've sworn he looked uncomfortable. "Hi! How was your day?" he asked her, giving her a tight smile.

"Exhausting." She answered with a heavy sigh. "Yours?"

He lifted his hand up and scratched his eyebrow absently. "Same."

She nodded her head and lifted her hand bag over her shoulder. Awkward silence filled the small elevator until the doors finally opened, letting them walk onto the floor. They walked side by side, making their way towards the front doors. They'd just passed the exit when Ryan let out a long irritated breath. He put his hand on her arm and stopped her from walking away. He pulled her to the side, away from too any curious eyes. "Look, Chris, I'm sorry. I feel like a total jackass right now." He told her, his voice low.

Chris shrugged her shoulders, playing innocent. "Why?"

He frowned, a little surprised by her question. "I left." He deadpanned, clearly unhappy with what he was about to say. "First, I started everything. And second, I didn't even stay to talk with you… afterwards."

She snorted and grinned. "Are you kidding? First, from what I remember, I was more than willing." She shook her head. "And what was there to talk about? Really? Seriously, it's no big deal!" _'Stop lying, Chris! It IS a big deal to you, or you wouldn't have spent the day thinking about it.'_ her mind screamed, not believing she was doing it again. Why couldn't she just tell him how she'd REALLY felt when she'd woken up alone in her bed?

He nodded his head. "Ok…" he paused and winced. "Still, I'm sorry for leaving before you woke up."

She lifted her eyebrows and tilted her head. "But why DID you leave?" _'Wow! A thousand points for sounding natural, Chris!'_

Ryan glanced down at the ground and sighed. "I don't know…" He finally answered, sounding like a teenager.

Chris giggled and shook her head. "It's fine! We had sex, great sex might I had, and you left. No big deal." _'Chris, you are SUCH a liar.'_ She kept the smile on her face, wanting this conversation done and over with. She'd said enough lies for the day.

"Oh!" Ryan stared at her for a few seconds, probably trying to see if she was totally ok with it, before he nodded his head, accepting her answer. "Ok then. No biggy."

They stared at each other, waiting to see if something else had to be said. Chris finally lost patience and broke the awkward silence. "Soooo… I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded his head eagerly. "Yes! Would you like to meet for lunch, maybe?" he asked her, sounding like the old Ryan.

"I'd like that!" She answered, smiling.

"Great." He finished.

"Great." She repeated.

'_Chris, you're in BIG trouble.'_

_'Shut up.'_

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**So???? WHat did you think?**


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's note: Thanks for the nice reviews everyone! They're always appreciated!!!!_

_PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING!!!!! I really need motivation to finish this story!_

* * *

**Chapter 9: Sister Talk**

He'd called her ten minutes before lunch break to tell her he was too busy to leave work and eat with her.

Figured.

Somehow, Chris wasn't that surprised.

Disappointed, yes. Surprised, no.

She'd actually believed him when he'd told her he only felt bad about leaving her bed after they'd had sex. Now she knew it didn't stop there. Apparently, the "sex" part had been a big deal for him.

She'd decided to get out of the lab for lunch, even if she was alone. She needed to leave the lab and get some fresh air. She actually felt hurt by Ryan's action. However, she wasn't sure if she was hurt by the friend or by the… what could she call him? Lover? Friend with benefits?

She took her time, driving slowly through the streets of Miami and decided to go to one of her favorite little cafes.

The rich smell of fresh brewed coffee and delicious pastries filled her nose as she got closer to the little café. She decided to sit outside, since the weather today was simply amazing. She ordered a salad and a large cappuccino, and watched the street as people walked by the small restaurant. Soon, long blond hair caught her attention and she almost choked on her water when she spotted her coworker and sister walking towards the same café she was sitting in.

Calleigh's eyes wondered around the tables and, noticing her instantly, she walked over to her table, a huge smile on her face. "Chris! Hi!"

Chris' pouty lips turned into a real smile. "Hi, Calleigh!"

The blond woman waved around her, eyebrows raised in question. "This is a surprise, I didn't know you knew about this place."

She nodded her head. "Actually, it's one of my favorites." She told her, grinning.

"Me too! I've never noticed you here before."

Chris shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we never came here at the same time." She answered.

Calleigh nodded her head silently. "Are you here alone?" she asked her, grinning softly.

"Yes, I am." She paused, thinking for a few seconds and then pointed at the other chair. "Would you like to join me? That is, if you want to eat here. I mean… I'd like to have your company… if you want." She stuttered nervously.

Calleigh laughed and nodded her head. "I'd love to have lunch with you." She pulled the chair and sat down, smiling widely. "Have you ordered yet?"

"I have." She answered, handing her the menu.

Calleigh shook her head. "I don't need to look at the menu." She looked around and raised her hand up to get their waiter's attention. "The salmon here is to die for." She told her, smiling as the waiter noticed her and quickly made his way to their table.

She ordered her lunch and turned her attention back on the younger blond. "So how are you today? Better than yesterday, I hope."

Chris grinned and nodded her head. "I'm doing good."

Calleigh tilted her head, studying her. "You look like you still have a lot on your mind, though."

She sighed, defeated. No wonder this woman was a CSI. "I do." She told her, tired of lying. She DID have a lot on her mind, and it all was starting to weigh down on her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she offered, sounding genuinely concerned.

Chris looked down at her hands and sighed. "It's… complicated."

"I'm a good listener." She offered.

She gave a little nod and looked back up. "I've got… family issues." Calleigh was watching her silently, waiting for her to keep going. Chris sighed and shook her head. "My real father just reappeared… along with everything that comes with him." There, she'd said it. It might not be much, but at least she'd said the truth.

"I take it you don't see him often."

Chris shook her head. "I'd never even met him before a few weeks ago. He just… showed up."

"How did your family take it?" Calleigh asked her in a soft concerned voice.

She shook her head. "They don't know he's back in the picture."

"Are you going to tell them?"

Chris shook her head. "I don't think so. My mom doesn't want anything to do with him. In her mind, he doesn't even exist anymore."

"Do YOU want him back in the picture?" Calleigh asked her before she paused, watching her.

The younger blond bit her lip and stared at her warm drink, swirling it around as she thought. She finally shook her head and sighed. "No. I already have an amazing dad. I don't need a second one."

Their waiter chose that moment to bring them their lunch, which Chris was thankful for. She didn't know what else she could say about the situation without giving too much information. She picked up her fork and grinned at her companion. "How about you? I'm sure your family isn't as fucked up as mine." She asked her, wanting to change topic.

Calleigh gave her a lopsided grin and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really like talking about my family. Without emptying the whole bag, let's just my mom and I aren't really close. I rarely get to see my brothers. My parents divorced when I was twelve and my father moved to Miami. He wasn't always there for me and my brothers when we were young but he's been trying to make up for lost times." She sighed and tilted her head, smiling softly. "I know he hasn't been the father of the year, but he loves me and would do anything for me. He's a loving father. And I only have one so… might as well accept him for who he is." She finished, taking a large bite from her plate.

Chris stared at her, her own meal long forgotten. Calleigh loved her father. Chris couldn't help thinking MAYBE her mom hadn't been completely truthful with her. Maybe Kenwall Duquesne wasn't as bad as she'd told her he was. Maybe if he'd known about her, he would've been there for her.

It wasn't as if she hadn't had a father in her life. She loved her dad, he was, in every way, the only father she'd ever wanted in her life. But she couldn't help wondering what her life could have been like if she'd gotten to know have this other man in her life.

She shook her head, not wanting to become too emotional in a public place. She brought her fork up to her mouth and took a bite from her food. "I guess I'm not the only one with family issues."

Calleigh nodded her head and sighed. "Let's change topic, alright?"

Chris agreed and stabbed her salad with her fork, searching for something else to talk about.

The CSI beat her to it though. "What else?"

Chris frowned, wondering what she meant.

Calleigh studied her and chuckled. "You don't only have family issues, now, do you?"

'_This woman is too good.'_ She thought, unable to hide her grin.

She noticed her grin and nodded her head knowingly. "I think you've got men issues too."

Chris sighed and nodded her head. Was she that transparent? "How do you know?"

The CSI threw her head back and laughed. "Come on! I've seen this coming a hundred miles an hour."

"What?" She frowned, not getting where she was going.

"You and Ryan."

Chris looked down at her plate, blushing furiously. "What do you know?"

"All I know is that there's something going on. I don't know WHAT though." She leaned closer to her. "Are you two dating?" she asked her, whispering.

Chris looked up at her and shook her head. "No, we're not dating."

"But something happened, didn't it?" she continued, watching her closely.

Chris sighed and nodded her head, defeated. "Yes." She dropped her fork in her plate and hid her face in her hands. "This is so screwed up!"

"What is?"

"Everything." She muttered miserably.

Calleigh grinned, her voice still as soft as it always was. "Can I tell you what I think?"

Chris nodded her head, watching her intently.

"Ryan likes you, a lot more than what he might have told you, and A LOT MORE than you might think."

Her eyes grew as Calleigh's words registered in her brain. Ryan liked her? He really saw her as more than just a friend?

Calleigh laughed and patted her hand before taking a sip from her drink. "I think I just gave you some more things to think about."

Chris raised her eyebrows, dumbstruck. "No kidding."

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_So???? Am I going too slow??? Should I pick up the pace a bit? TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT!!!!_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's note:**_ On to chapter 10!!!! Hope you enjoy it!

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!

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**_Chapter 10: A Family Decision_**

Chris sat in her car, staring at her parents' house.

Who would've thought getting a new job would bring so much havoc in her life? In less than three months, she'd found out she had a sister, met her biological father and fucked what could have been a beautiful friendship.

She still wasn't a hundred positive on that last one though.

She had mixed emotions when it came to Ryan.

She'd shared lunch with Calleigh only yesterday and she still hadn't totally swallowed what she'd told her. After they'd parted to go back to work, Chris had gone back to the lab and had focused her mind on work. She'd been more than professional, pushing her own problems to a corner of her mind and had promised herself she'd let herself think when she'd get home.

Thankfully, she didn't see Calleigh nor Ryan for the rest of her shift. After work, she'd gotten her things and driven back to her apartment, where, once again, she'd let her thoughts go free.

She'd thought about what Calleigh had told her about her father and what it meant to her. She'd let herself imagine telling her mother about what she'd found out. She'd also spent a lot of time thinking about Ryan.

Ryan and her had started as friends. Before long, they'd taken their relationship to another level and then had called it a mistake. But putting the blame on alcohol was easy, too easy, even. It made her ignore what she might be really feeling. She'd tried as hard as she could to put what she felt for Ryan into clear words, but had failed. Everything was still too blurry.

Chris let out a long irritated sigh and got out of her car. Today was her day off and her mother had called to tell her they were having a family dinner, which had warmed her heart. It had been way too long since the last time she'd seen her whole family together.

She'd chosen to wear a loose fitting cream-colored top and tight black pants. She combed her hair with her fingers and smiled as she walked up to the front door and let herself in. "I'm here!" she called out, dropping her purse by the door.

She heard a loud roar right before her two younger brothers appeared in the living room and ran up to her. Chris squealed as they crushed her between them, giving her a huge bear hug. "CHRIS!!!!" She almost couldn't breathe as they held her between them, laughing at her apparent discomfort.

They finally let her come out for air long enough for her to spot her mom, dad, who was holding Lacey in his arms, and Felix joining them in the living room. "You guys are completely nuts, you know that?" She told them as she hugged her two brothers properly.

Bradley laughed and messed up her hair, ignoring her loud groan. "We're only giving you want, sis'."

She rolled her eyes and hugged Felix, kissed her mother and took her little sister from her father's arms. "My baby!!!" She hugged and kissed her, making her giggle. She then put her down and turned to her father, who drew her into his arms. "I missed you, dad!"

"I missed you too, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead and pulled back slightly to get a better look at her. "I love the new hair!"

She reached up and touched her hair, blushing slightly. "Thanks. I'm getting used to it slowly."

"Well it looks good on you honey." Her mom told her.

"Thanks, mom."

"I swear if you weren't my sister, I'd…"

"AARON!" their mother stopped him, scowling at him. "Not in front of Lacey, please."

Aaron rolled his eyes and shrugged. "She's heard worse than that, haven't you squirt?!?" he retorted, nudging his little sister's shoulder, who looked up and nodded her head in agreement.

Amanda rolled her eyes in frustration as Ricky went over to his young daughter and picked her up again. "Come on, everyone, let's go sit outside." He took his wife by the waist and brought her back towards the kitchen. Aaron and Bradley followed them, pushing and nudging each other as they went.

Felix looked at Chris and gave her a large smile before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her cheek and squeezed her against him. "How are you? You look tired."

Her smile wavered slightly, her thoughts going back to the reason why she felt so drained. "I didn't sleep well last night. But I'm good!" she piped up, not wanting to get into her problems again.

Felix started dragging her towards the kitchen and bowed his head to her level. "I don't believe your crap, Chris." He whispered in her ear, making her heart thud painfully in her chest. He kissed her temple reassuringly and guided her outside, where their family was getting ready to have dinner.

A few hours later, after having eaten one of Amanda's tasty vegetarian meals, they all stayed outside, enjoying the warm weather. The three boys decided to shoot some hoops, leaving Chris and her parents sitting at the table. Lacey was fast asleep on her father's lap, who was caressing her back soothingly.

"I think I'm gonna take her to bed." He announced, standing from his chair.

Chris grinned as her mother stood and kissed her unconscious daughter good night right before Ricky disappeared inside the house.

Amanda sat down again and looked at her eldest daughter. "So? Care to tell me why you look like you haven't slept in days?"

Chris sighed, defeated. She wasn't going to get out of this one. "There's just a lot going on, mom." She told her.

Her mother stood from her chair again and came to sit next to her. She took her hand in hers and squeezed, encouraging her to keep going. "What's going on?"

She looked down at their hands and decided to go for it. She was tired of hiding everything from her. "I've met my biological father, mom." She announced, looking up at her mother's face to watch her reaction.

The older woman laughed and shook her head, clearly not believing her. "What?!?"

Chris frowned and stared at her. Now that she'd finally said it, she wasn't about to take her words back. "I'm serious, mom. I've met him."

Her mother's smile slowly disappeared. "But… how?" she whispered, not wanting anyone else to hear this.

"He lives in Miami." She sighed. "Apparently he's been living in Miami for many years now."

Her mother's hand left hers to join the other one on her lap. "You talked with him?"

Chris nodded her head slowly. "We just exchanged a few words. But don't worry, he has no idea I'm his daughter." She cleared, not wanting her mother to think he'd show up here and ask her for an explanation.

Amanda looked down at her folded hands and shook her head. "I don't understand, Chris! How could you have talked to him?" she asked her, not understanding under what circumstances she could have met him.

'_Here goes nothing.' _Chris thought. She'd have to tell her sooner or later. "I found out one of my coworkers is his daughter."

Her mother stayed silent, in shock. She finally let out a long breath and looked at her. "Does she know…?"

Chris shook her head. "No. I haven't told her. I haven't told anyone."

Her mother nodded her head quickly. "Good."

The younger woman raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "I don't know. I've been thinking about telling her the truth."

Her mother's eyes locked on hers. "No, you won't." She told her, her eyes pleading with her. "Chris, this is a bad idea. I don't want you to tell her anything. I don't want you to tell ANYONE."

Chris frowned, feeling her pressure rising. "I'm twenty-seven years old, mom. I can make my own decisions." She told her, her voice becoming louder. She couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to. She'd been living with the secret for way too long now, and it was becoming too heavy for her shoulders.

Clearly, her mom didn't agree with her. "And I'm still your mother. I made a choice many years ago that I didn't want Kenwall Duquesne in our lives. I'd like you to respect my choice."

Chris shook her head. "So I have to keep this secret from her and that's it? I've been working with her for about three months now. Do you only KNOW how hard it's been for me?" she told her, not believing what her mom was saying.

Amanda shrugged. "Maybe you should quit this job, then."

Calleigh's mouth opened in shock. "You are so selfish." She told her, not caring if she hurt her with her words.

Her mother shook her head and pointed at her daughter. "No YOU are being selfish. You have a great family who loves you. Isn't it enough?"

Chris pinched her lips, stopping herself from saying something she'd regret. She stood up from her chair just as her father came back outside. He frowned, noticing something was wrong. "Chris? Are you leaving already?"

She nodded her head and went over to her dad, giving him quick hug. "Good night, dad."

He kissed her cheek, still frowning. "Good night, sweetheart."

Chris turned around and waved at her brothers. "Good night, guys!!! I'm leaving!"

The three men waved back and grunted their good night wishes, their heads focused on the game they were playing.

She turned around and quickly disappeared in the house. She walked over to the front door, grabbed her purse from where she'd left it and walked back outside. She made a beeline for her car and climbed in, needing to get away.

She drove quickly, heading towards her apartment, but realized she didn't want to go home. She didn't want to be alone. She was tired of dealing with her thoughts. Without a second thought, she turned the car around and chose another destination.

She wanted, no NEEDED to see Ryan.

She quickly drove her car to his place, not even caring what his reaction would be when he'd see her on his doorstep. She finally reached his building and parked her car. She ran up the stairs to his apartment and knocked at his door.

She heard movement coming from inside the apartment and Ryan finally opened his door. "Chris!" He said, surprised at finding her there.

"Can I come in?" she asked him, not knowing how much longer she'd be able to keep her emotions under control.

"Yeah, sure." He stepped back and opened the door wider for her.

She hung her head and walked in quickly. She heard him shut the door behind her but didn't turn around, not knowing what to do. What could she tell him? The television was on and the couch looked as if he'd been lying on it. There was a dark brown blanket bunched up at one end of the couch and a half-empty bottle of beer on the coffee table.

Ryan walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "What's going on, Chris? Are you ok?" Did something happen?" he asked her, concerned.

Chris sighed and dropped her purse on the floor. She took the hand he'd laid on her shoulder and slowly turned it around. She brought it up to her lips and kissed the palm of his hand. She had no idea what she was doing but enjoyed the small shiver she got from Ryan. She turned around and, without a word, raised herself to her tip toes to touch her lips to his.

Ryan gasped against her mouth as her lips brushed his, taken by surprise. Her light kiss wasn't enough for him though, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him. She let him take the lead as he crushed his lips to hers, moaning lightly. He bit her lower lip, asking for entrance. She held on to him as he deepened the kiss, his tongue invading her mouth.

Chris kissed him back hungrily, holding onto the back of his head to keep him from pulling away. But she wanted more. She needed to be surrounded by his heat. Her hands seemed to take a life of their own as they left his neck and travelled down to his pants. He pulled back when he felt her fingers working on the button of his pants.

"What are you doing?" he asked her, panting heavily. His hazel eyes were dark with desire, and she knew he was trying very hard to keep himself under control.

"Please, Ryan." she told him, her eyes pleading with his.

He put one of his hands behind her head and brought her lips up to his again, his tongue invading her mouth, making her moan in pleasure. His other hand travelled down to the juncture of her thighs, touching her through her pants.

Chris' hands went back to the button of his pants, wanting them off, now.

Ryan's mouth left hers again. He looked in the direction of his bedroom, but decided the couch was a lot closer. He brought her to it and laid her down, covering her body with his. He raised himself on his knees and took off his t-shirt, throwing it behind him. He reached down and helped her take off her own top and immediately freed her from her bra. He bent his head and feasted on her breasts, relishing in the long moans and gasps her got from her.

Her hands were still struggling to open his pants. With a groan of satisfaction, she finally succeeded and slipped her hand inside his pants, her fingers wrapping around his engorged flesh. Ryan pulled back and closed his eyes tightly, groaning at the feel of her hands on him. He took a long shaky breath, trying to control himself as she squeezed and massaged him. He finally groaned and pushed her hand away before standing up from the couch. He took his pants off before helping her out of hers, pulling her underwear off at the same time.

He covered her body with his again, his hard need digging into the flesh of her thigh as he devoured her mouth with his.

Her nails scratched his naked back, drawing a long moan from his throat. She wanted, no NEEDED to feel him inside her.

Ryan held his weight up on one arm and spread her legs a little wider with the other. He tested her wetness, grinning proudly at finding her more than ready for him. His hand joined the other by her head and he hid his face into her neck as he slowly pushed himself inside her, groaning as he filled her completely. She drew her legs higher over his hips, urging him to go deeper.

He pulled back and looked at her face as he started thrusting his hips slowly, relishing in her passionate gasps. She held onto his shoulders, her eyes tightly shut. He picked up the pace, moving faster and faster, making her moan louder. He bent his head and crushed his lips to hers, his tongue imitating the movements of his hips inside her.

She was close, so close as he kept driving into her. She finally tore her mouth from his and threw her head back, crying out as her walls clenched tightly around him. Ryan whimpered, unable to keep himself from exploding as he watched her, her eyes tightly shut, her mouth wide open in ecstasy. He hid his face inside her neck and moaned her name, pumping his hips erratically before he finally came.

He didn't move off of her immediately, as they fought to get their breathing under control. Not wanting to crush her with his weight, he finally pulled out of her and moved her so he could lay behind her, pulling her against his chest. He reached down and grabbed the dark brown blanket he'd left on the couch, covering their sweaty bodies with it. He kissed her head and snuggled up to her, loving the sound of her soft breathing.

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_*Blushing* ... SOOOO????_


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note: READ AND _REVIEW PLEAAAAAAAAASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Chapter 11: A Good Thing

Chris kept her eyes shut, loving the feel of Ryan's naked body snuggled up behind her. His face was hidden in her hair and she could feel his hot breath against the base of her neck, soothing her. She took the hand he had draped over her stomach into hers and locked her fingers with his, feeling a soft smile grace her lips.

This felt right.

"Hi." She her him whisper in her hair.

Her smile widened and she brought their folded hand up under her chin, wrapping his arm tightly around her. "Hi." She whispered back. It was the first time they'd been together afterwards and hadn't felt awkward or like this had been a mistake.

Ryan kissed the back of her neck. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked her, his voice soft.

Chris sighed and looked down at their folded hands. "I had a fight with my mother." She told him. She let go of his hand and moved to turn around, wanting to see his face. He lifted the covers to help her move and grinned softly when her face came close to his, her hand on his naked hip. He covered her again and lifted himself on his elbow.

He lifted his other hand up to her cheek and brushed her hair back. "What did you fight about?"

She stared into his soft hazel eyes, wondering if she could tell him the truth. As much as she trusted him, she'd just told her mother about her secret, and simply wasn't ready to tell someone else. She shrugged and gave him a small grin. "You know… family stuff."

"They have to be important family stuff if it got you in that state." He reminded her, stroking her cheek.

Chris closed her eyes and sighed. "Is it ok if I don't talk about it now?" She told him.

Ryan studied her face and nodded his head, his hand resting in the crook of her neck. "Alright. Just promise me you will."

She nodded her head slowly. "I promise." She let her hand travel up and down his waist, caressing the naked skin of his ribcage and coming back down to his thigh.

He shivered and grinned. "What made you want to come here?" he asked her.

Chris shrugged and let her hand wander over his back side, drawing a saucy grin from him. "I needed to see you." She whispered, blushing slightly.

His grin grew a little larger as he bent his head down to hers. "I'm glad you came." He held the back of her head and brushed his lips to hers, giving her a languorous kiss.

She responded immediately, opening her mouth and inviting him in. She scooted to get closer to him and grinned against his lips as she felt him nudged between them. "We want some more, I see." She teased him, moving her hips against him.

Ryan groaned and held her face close to his, grinning mischievously. "I've been wanting you like this the moment you first came to my apartment." He hid his face into her neck and bit her skin softly before drawing his wet tongue over the lightly bruised skin.

Chris moved her head back to give him better access to her neck. She let her hand travel between their bodies, needing to feel him again. Ryan groaned and pushed himself to his knees, straddling her thighs. He pushed her hand away and squared his jaw. "Let's take this somewhere we can move more easily, alright?"

Chris laughed and stretched her body, loving the way his hot gaze travelled over her naked curves. "But I like your couch. It's comfy."

Ryan pushed himself off her and stood next to the couch, offering her his hand. "After I'm done with you, you'll like my bed a whole lot more."

She giggled and took his offered hand. She let him pull her off the couch and giggled as he led her down the hall towards his bedroom.

**CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI**

Chris took a long breath as she started waking up. She frowned slightly, trying to remember why she wasn't in her bed. A smile appeared to her lips as the images from the previous night came back to her mind, making her blush. She cracked her eyes open and turned her head to his side of the bed, but frowned at finding it empty. Her frown quickly disappeared though when she heard the shower start in the bathroom.

She grinned and looked at his alarm clock, realizing it was already 6:30. She was off today but apparently, Ryan wasn't. She stretched her sore muscles and rubbed her eyes, trying to force herself to wake up. She pushed the covers off her body, sat up and glanced around the room in search of something to cover her naked body with. Of course, Ryan was way too clean to leave clothes around his bedroom. She sighed and got out of the bed. She quickly made her way back into the living room, where she knew she'd find her clothes. She pulled her underwear on, along with her cream colored top, not bothering with the rest for now. She went over to his kitchen and made herself a tall glass of orange juice before padding back into his bedroom to wait for him.

She had just sat on the bed again when she heard him come out of the bathroom. He came back into the bedroom quietly, not sure if he'd find her awake or not, and grinned when he saw her sitting on the bed. He was already wearing his boxers and had put on his purple shirt but hadn't buttoned it up yet.

"Good morning." He told her softly, walking up to her. Her climbed on the bed and hovered over her as she laid back down on the bed. He kissed her neck lazily, drawing soft moans from her.

"Good morning." She whispered, drawing a long breath. "Mmm, not only do you look absolutely eatable, you smell good too." She told him, caressing his back under his shirt.

He groaned and his lips left her neck to go to her mouth. He kissed her lips and laid down on top of her, his hips settling between her thighs.

Chris whimpered as she felt his need push against her. She wanted this as much as he did, but he seemed to have forgotten one very important thing. She broke the kiss, making him groan. "Ryan…" she moaned as he moved his hips in circles against her. "Ryan… you're going to be late for work." She reminded him.

"I don't care." He told her, work being the last thing on his mind right now.

She giggled and tried pushing him off. "Come on, Ryan. You've got to go to work." She took his face in her hands, holding him still. "I don't want you to get in trouble."

He frowned down at her and pouted, before letting out a long breath. "Spoil sport." He told her, pushing himself off of her. "Now I'm gonna have a hard on all day because of you." He reminded her, turning around to find his pants.

Chris laughed and shook her head, rolling her eyes at him. "Come on, it won't be too bad." She climbed out of bed and padded over to him. "We'll have all the time we want AFTER work." She reminded him, slapping his butt. She walked out of his bedroom and went back to the living room, where she remembered having left her purse. She found it on the floor where she'd dropped it the night before and picked it up before sitting down on the closest chair. She fished through it, looking for her cell phone and quickly found the small pink object. She flipped it open and frowned as the screen showed she had five missed calls and three messages.

"What wrong?"

She looked up as Ryan walked down the hall, bringing her half empty glass of orange juice with him. She shrugged and showed him her cell phone. "I have five missed calls. I never even heard it ring."

Ryan went in the kitchen, emptied the glass in the sink, rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. He came back in the living room and sat on the couch to put his socks and shoes on. "Why am I not surprised?" he told her, grinning mischievously.

Chris rolled her eyes at him but was unable to keep herself from blushing. She brought the phone to her ear and frowned when she heard her brother's concerned voice. _"Hey, sis'. It's Felix. I don't know why you're not answering your phone. You must be busy. I'll call you later. Bye."_

The second message sounded pretty much the same. _"Chris, I really want to talk to you. Call me back when you get this, please. Bye."_

But he sounded more than concerned on his third message. _"Chris, it's me again. Look, it's almost midnight and you still haven't called me back and you're not answering your phone. It's making me nervous. Please call me as soon as you get this message alright? Love you."_

She flipped her phone off and sighed. "It's Felix. He wants to talk to me. He sounded pretty concerned."

Ryan nodded his head and stood from the couch. "I would be too if I tried calling you and you never answered." He walked over to her and kissed her forehead before going back into the kitchen. "Call him back."

"I will as soon as I get home." She stood up and started gathering her discarded clothes. She slipped her pants back on and shoved her bra into her purse, making a mental note not to forget it in there. She combed her fingers through her hair and smiled as Ryan came back into the living room, looking clean and ready to get to work.

He walked up to her and gathered her in his arms. "I'll go straight to your place after shift." He kissed her forehead, her nose and then her lips before pulling back to look at her. "We'll have dinner together… if that's alright with you."

She grinned and nodded her head, raising her lips up for another kiss. "That'd be great." She told him when she finally pulled back.

Ryan took a step back and held onto her hands. "I have to go to work."

She nodded and pulled her purse over her shoulder. "I'll follow you out."

They got out of his apartment and walked hand in hand down to the entrance. He followed her to her car and kissed her lips softly before she climbed in her car and drove off.

She was a little disappointed that one of the five missed calls hadn't been from her mother. She still couldn't accept what she'd told her. She understood why her mother felt reticent about letting other people find out about who her real father was, but she just couldn't swallow what she'd said about wanting her to quit her job.

She drove slowly, her mind wandering from her discussion with her mom, to Felix' concerned voice and to the night she'd spent with Ryan. Even if nothing good had come out from talking with her mother, she still felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off her shoulders. And knowing everything between Ryan and her was right again helped a lot.

Chris finally reached her small apartment building and parked her car. She'd call her brother as soon as she'd taken a shower. She felt icky. She unlocked her front door and walked in, grimacing at the state of her apartment. Maybe dating Ryan would be good for her cleaning habits.

She went straight to her bedroom and started undressing. _'Are we dating?'_ she asked herself. They hadn't had time to talk about anything this morning. She shook her head and sighed. She wasn't going to think about that now.

She was about to get in the shower when she heard a knock at her front door. Frowning, she slipped her white bathrobe on and tied it tightly around her waist before making her way back to the front door.

She opened the door and took a step back, not that surprised at who she found standing there. "Hi, Felix."

The tall Cuban was frowning, deep concern still clearly written all over his face. "Where have you been?"

She stepped aside and waved him in, grinning. "You're up early! I was just about to call you."She told him, ignoring his question.

Felix walked in and turned around to face her, the look still not disappeared from his face. "I called you, left you messages. I thought something had happened to you."

Chris rolled her eyes and walked around him to go sit on her couch. She pulled her feet under herself and pointed at the empty seat next to her. "Calm down, Felix. I'm fine." She said, pointing at herself. "See?"

Felix didn't follow her example though, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Where did you spend the night? I came over last night but you never answered the door."

She sighed and looked down at her lap. "I was at a friend's." she didn't know if telling him about Ryan would be such a great idea. He'd ask her too many questions, and she wasn't sure if she would have all the answers for him.

"What friend? Jessica?"

Chris snorted. "I haven't seen Jessica in about a year, Felix." She sighed and shook her head at him, getting tired with his interrogation. "Felix, I've barely seen you in the last five months and now, you think you deserve to know everything I do?"

Felix sighed and bowed his head. He finally walked over to the couch and joined her, resting his elbows on his knees. "I'm sorry, Chris." He lifted his hands up to his face and rubbed his tired eyes. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok and I got nervous when I couldn't find you."

She reached over to him and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It's ok, Felix. I actually like having a protective big brother." She smiled at him. "Why did you want to talk to me so bad?"

He sat back on the couch and started massaging his neck with one of his hands. "You left so quickly yesterday after dinner, I didn't have time to wish you good night. Then when we finally went back inside the house, I realized something had happened between you and mom. You two had a fight?" he asked her, watching her face.

Chris pinched her lips and let out a long irritated breath. "We did. But it was stupid. It'll blow over quickly enough." She told him, shaking her head. _'I doubt it will, Chris.'_ The little voice inside her said.

"I don't think it will, Chris." Felix answered, making her lips curve in a little smile. Maybe she should start calling that voice in her head "Felix".

She sighed. "Let me deal with this, alright?" She stood from the couch, not waiting for him to retort, and combed her messy hair with her fingers. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna take a shower."

Felix walked over to the front door, seeing she was in no mood to talk. "Alright, I'm gonna stop bugging you." He pulled her in a small hug and kissed her cheek. "Just promise me you'll talk with her, alright?"

Chris looked down and nodded her head, feeling like a small child under his intense gaze.

He accepted her answer and kissed the top of her head before opening the front door. "Call me, alright?"

She gave him a tight grin and a small wave as he closed the door behind him. Alone at last, she went back into her bathroom to take that shower she'd been waiting to take.

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SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO???????????????????


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's note: ON to chapter 12! Hope you enjoy it!_

_PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!!_

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**Chapter 12: THE Talk**

It was almost five when Chris finally got to sit down. She looked around her apartment, proud of what she'd achieve. Her usually messy apartment was now sparkly clean. She'd picked up all of her discarded clothes and had cleaned up her closet, giving her enough space to hide her numerous shoes in. She'd dusted and vacuumed every single room in her small apartment and had made sure nothing was left out of place.

Ryan was supposed to come over to her place after his shift and there was no way she would let him inside her apartment looking the way it did. Ryan was a neat freak… and she was the complete opposite.

'_Since when do you care what people think about your apartment, Chris?'_ her mind asked her. She shook her head at her own thoughts. If her mother had seen her she'd be laughing her ass off.

Chris grimaced at the thought of her mother. She hadn't called her to apologize and she hadn't either. If there was something she'd gotten from her mother, it was, without a doubt, her stubbornness. It had nothing to do with pride. She'd had no right to tell her what to do and should've never told her to quit her job. She knew how long she'd wanted to get that job and asking her to quit because she had to work with a Duquesne was simply ridiculous and selfish.

She groaned and pushed herself off her couch. She didn't want to think about her mother. She would deal with her later. Now, she just wanted to focus her mind on Ryan. She went to her bedroom and opened her closet, looking for something cute to wear. _'I really need to go shopping for new clothes.' _She thought, searching through her closet.

_'WHAT??'_ her mind screamed. Since when did she become so giddy about a man that she wanted to go on a shopping spree to change her closet?

She rolled her eyes at herself and grabbed her favorite pair of black jeans. She pulled it on and chose to wear a light grey v-neck sleeveless top. She stood in front of the mirror and pulled her hair up in a high ponytail. '_There. I look cute enough to ravage.' _she told her reflection, before she rolled her eyes at herself. _'You wish.'_

A knock at the door interrupted the conversation she was having with herself. She glanced atherreflection one last time and, satisfied, she half ran up to her front door. She opened the door and smiled widely when she saw him waiting behind the door. "Hi!" She took a step back to let him in, suddenly feeling shy.

But apparently, Ryan wasn't. He shut the door behind him and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her against him. Her hands fisted in his hair as he kissed her hungrily, drawing a throaty moan from her. He finally pulled back and smiled down at her. "Hi."

Chris let go of his head and grinned back, trying to ignore the evident flush she felt creeping on her cheeks. She tried taking a step out of his embrace but Ryan only tightened his hold on her. He shook his head, giving her a mischievous grin. "And where do you think you're going?"

She shrugged, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Apparently, nowhere." She answered. "How was work?"

It was his turn to shrug. "It was work." He licked his lips and lifted his chin towards her living room. "I spent the day wondering if your couch was as comfortable as mine." He told her as he started backing her up towards it.

Chris giggled and played along. "I don't know if it's as comfortable, but I know a way to make it work pretty good." She told him, suddenly not so shy anymore. She turned them around just as they reached her couch and pushed him to sit on it before straddling his lap.

"I like this couch already." He announced, sitting back as she slowly lifted her top off, showing him the lacy purple bra she was wearing underneath. She could already feel him hard against the juncture of her thigh. She reached up to the top button of his shirt and started unbuttoning it slowly.

His eyes were glued to her flushed face as his fingers itched to grab that bra and rip it off her. She finally got his shirt opened completely and helped him out of it, throwing it over her shoulder. He took her face between his hands and brought her lips down to his, kissing her hungrily. His hands left her face and went behind her back to unhook her bra. He drew the garment down her arms and threw it blindly behind her. His hands didn't waste any time, going to work on the button of her jeans.

Chris giggled and pulled back, pushing his hands away. His eyes were dark with need as he watched her stand up from his lap and slowly take her jeans and panties off. He licked his lips as his hot gaze travelled over her naked body, his mouth itching to taste her. She grinned, got down on her knees in front of him and got to work on his pants. He scooted a little closer to the edge of the couch, giving her better access as her small fingers unzipped his pants. He lifted himself off the couch to help her pull his pants and underwear down his legs.

"Come here." He ordered, holding his arms out to her. She grinned and straightened herself before straddling his hips again, his erection nudged between them. She kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck again. His hands travelled over the bare skin of her back and settled on her cheeks, squeezing tightly. He devoured her mouth, groaning as she made small circles with her hips.

Without breaking the kiss, she lifted herself up and used one of her hands to guide him to her opening. Her hand joined the other one at the back of the couch as she let herself go down on him, groaning at the feel of him stretching her.

He held onto her hips as he broke the kiss and threw his head back, biting on his lower lip to keep from crying out. He helped guiding her movements as she rode him slowly, gasping when he got that little deeper. He groaned her name when she started moving faster, raising his hips to meet hers as he held onto her. He moved one of his hands around to touch her, wanting her to come before he did.

Chris threw her head back and shut her eyes tightly, whimpering as she felt herself nearing the edge. She finally gasped and cried out, her climax washing over her. Ryan held onto her hips and pumped his hips up into her with hard thrusts, crying out as he finally emptied himself inside her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her still as they both came down from their bliss.

"I take it you really HAD that hard on all day." She whispered, giggling softly.

Ryan snorted and tightened his hold on her. "You have NO idea." He answered, his hands slowly caressing her naked back.

They stayed in this position for a few more minutes, enjoying the feel of each other, but realized they would have to move at some point. They untangled themselves from each other and quickly got cleaned up before putting their clothes back on.

Ryan was standing in the kitchen when she came out of the bathroom. She walked in, fixing her hair in the same high ponytail she'd sported before and squealed when Ryan grabbed her by the waist and gave her a huge hug. "What's going on? Haven't had enough?" she told him, giggling as he kissed her neck.

He pulled back slightly and held her face between his hands. "I think I'll never have enough of you." He told her, holding her face a mere inches from his.

Chris blushed and looked away, unable to look him in the eye.

"I'm making you blush." He stated, quite proud of himself.

"This is just very new… for me." She stuttered, taking a little step back. She forced herself to look at him. "We've been friends for a while and now… it's all changing and… I've never gotten into something like this… so fast." She babbled, trying to make sense out of what was coming out of her mouth.

Ryan shook his head and leaned back against the table, bringing her closer to stand between his legs. "Do you want to know what I think?" he asked her softly, tilting his head to get a good look at her face. "I think I like you a lot more than a friend should. I think the first time we were together might have been a mistake." He took her face between his hands again, wanting her to look at him. "But after that, I don't think it was. I spent a lot of time thinking about it and I've realized I have feelings for you."

"You do?"

He nodded his head. "And I didn't want to say anything 'cause I didn't know if you felt the same way."

"So that's why you were so distant." She couldn't keep the soft smile from reaching her lips at what he'd told her. She reached up and laid her hands on his waist. "I… like you, too." She looked down and shrugged her shoulders. "All I know is that I hated not having you around lately, and I really… REALLY wanted to see you." She looked up in his hazel eyes again, hoping she'd said enough.

Ryan grinned at her and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her tightly against him. "So… does this mean we're dating?"

Chris snorted and shook her head at him. "I think we're way passed the dating part… unless… you… don't want to start… anything." She stuttered, not wanting to force him into anything.

He laughed softly and kissed her lips softly. "I think I'd like to start… SOMETHING… with you." He whispered, looking into her eyes.

Chris grinned and lifted her arms around his neck, bringing his lips down to hers again. The kiss quickly grew more and more passionate as hands started exploring every inch of the skin they could find under their clothes.

Ryan groaned when Chris pulled back, breaking the kiss. "Ryan, we have to eat something." She told him, pushing against his chest as he tried pulling her back in.

"I don't need food." He grunted, showing her what else he needed.

Chris giggled and shook her head. "Well, I do." She reminded him, trying very hard to ignore her own growing need.

Ryan bowed his head and let out a long sigh. "Fine." He groaned, as if it were the worst thing he'd ever had to do.

The short blond laughed and stepped back, fixing her clothes. "We could order some Chinese!" she piped up, wanting to lighten his mood.

"Fine." He answered, still pouting.

Chris rolled her eyes and went over to the phone. "Chinese it is!"

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_SOOOOOOOO What did you think? PLEASE COMMENT!!!!! Even if it's bad, tell me! I hate this silent treatment!!!!!!!!!!_


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